Softball: St. Charles East powers past Schaumburg

Three days after managing just one run in its season-opening loss to Barrington, St. Charles East's softball team regrouped and spoiled another team's season debut Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Jordan Hieber finished 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and 4 RBI while sparking a 13-hit attack during the Saints' 12-5 nonconference triumph over Schaumburg (0-1) in St. Charles.

Schaumburg grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first without the benefit of a base hit.

Alex Cook led off with a walk, advanced to second on Brittney Butt's sacrifice bunt, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a run-scoring groundout by Michelle Birkholz.

St. Charles East (1-1) answered with a 3-run bottom half of the frame that featured Maddie Candre's leadoff single, Rylee Stout's RBI triple, Hieber's run-producing groundout and a pair of Schaumburg defensive miscues.

Schaumburg tied the game at 3-3 on back-to-back RBI singles from Cook and Butt in the top of the second before the Saints broke the game open with 4 runs in the bottom of the second.

The uprising included sophomore Maddy Stout's solo home run to lead off the inning and Hieber's 2-run single to right-center.

"I think we just had to get it together," said Hieber, who added an RBI single as part of the Saints' 2-run fourth. "I think it was mostly nerves (on Saturday). I was very nervous but as soon as I got into the groove of things, it was so much easier."

It was also much easier to watch for Saints coach Jarod Gutesha.

"Getting the hits with runners in scoring position - that was the big difference offensively," said Gutesha. "No doubt about it. We were missing the big hit on Saturday with runners in scoring position and today we got it."

Senior Sarah Kreiner highlighted the Saints' 3-run fifth when she sliced a 2-run double down the left-field line in a pinch-hit role.

"Even off the bench on a cold day with the shadows and Sarah Kreiner came in and had a nice hit," said Gutesha. "Putting up 12 runs gave us a cushion which I think was necessary because we didn't play the cleanest game defensively."

Senior pitcher Delaney Devor (1-1) recorded the victory, scattering 11 hits while striking out 4.

"She battled through and actually lost her sleeves as the game went on," said Gutesha. "You talk about a kid who is tough. You know she's going to battle."

Allie Balaskovits, Sara Campagna, Maddy Stout, Devor and Hieber all had a pair of hits for the Saints.

Talia Torosian, Caitlin Poplar, Natalie Napier and Cook enjoyed multihit games for the Saxons, who struggled defensively with 5 errors.

"It's our first game," said Saxons coach Ellen Abreu. "We haven't even been on the field at our school.

I'm not going to overanalyze anything right now. We've got to work on a lot of things. We're kind of chalking it up to the first game."