Softball: Gregule keeps Glenbard West moving on the bases
Glenbard West center fielder Lexi Gregule regularly gets teased about her running style.
Some people compare it to a gazelle, others to a baby giraffe.
"My dad says I have monkey arms and legs," Gregule said. "I get it from him, I think."
Gregule had plenty of opportunities to showcase her unorthodox gait Thursday. The junior loped around the bases after blasting a 2-run home run in the third inning and sprinted for a ground-rule double in the fourth.
Gregule finished 2-for-4 with 4 runs batted in as the Hilltoppers beat Addison Trail 13-2 in 5 innings at Memorial Park in Glen Ellyn.
She doesn't mind the teasing and nobody cares how she looks on the bases or in the field.
"I don't know if she has control of her limbs yet, even in the outfield," Glenbard West coach Mary McGrane joked. "But she's a three-year varsity starter and that's what we look for from her.
"She sets the tone for us because she's my leadoff (hitter). It's almost like when the girls see her have great at-bats it relaxes them."
Gregule flied out to right and struck out in her first two at-bats before changing her approach. Her line-drive homer to left capped a 4-run inning and gave Glenbard West (1-1) a 7-1 lead.
"In my first few at-bats I don't think I was seeing the ball as well, but luckily you get more," Gregule said. "So I decided to change my mental game and just go up and see it and hit it, instead thinking as much."
The hitting proved to be contagious as the Hilltoppers rapped 12 hits, six of them for extra bases.
Katherine Porter went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, scoring the game's first run in the first inning on a two-out single by Isabel Hermanson after the Blazers had thrown a runner out at the plate. Porter's 2-run double in the fourth completed a 6-run inning and the scoring.
"It's huge for us," Gregule said. "We know we did well against Naperville North (a 5-1 loss on Monday), but we were disappointed because we knew we could do better.
"I think our offense was here tonight and also we cleaned up our defense a little bit, which helped a lot. It kind of showed everyone that, wow, we can do this."
Alize Aranda went 3-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI and sophomore pitcher Mallory Small scattered 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.
Marie Baumgartner scored in the third inning for the Blazers (0-3) and singled to drive in Vincenza Zaccaro in the fourth.
"We're still really young so there are going to be some growing pains for us," Addison Trail coach Mark Olson said. "I think our effort is there and we're working hard.
"It's just some of those little things start adding up and Mary does a great job with these girls where they take advantage of those little things when you make that mistake where you're giving up a 0-2 hit."