No challenge too great for Wheaton Academy's Gagliano

At a sunny, windy and cold Wheaton Academy softball field Thursday, senior Meghan Gagliano faced her own internal challenges.

The leadoff hitter was desperately trying to keep a straight face about her black uniform pants.

"Right before the game, the zipper (slider) comes off," Gagliano said. "I'm like, 'Oh great. I'm know I'm going to get a lot of heat from my team for this.' "

When the left-handed hitter came up against Fenton, she slapped a grounder to shortstop.

Gagliano outran the throw to first base.

It was the first of 12 hits in the Warriors' 10-0 five-inning Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division victory in West Chicago.

Junior Cassie Bonga had 3 hits and Gagliano, senior Andi Pivaronas and juniors Maddie Ebeling and Krysta Deutsch each had 2 for the Warriors (2-1, 2-0).

Pivaronas (1-1) pitched a 3-hit shutout with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks.

"We definitely had the right energy," Gagliano said. "This game we really, really stepped it up (offensively). We were being more aggressive and just not swinging at those wild pitches."

Gagliano is an NCAA Division I Charleston Southern softball recruit who next year will play against older sister Marissa, a redshirt sophomore at Big South Conference rival Radford.

With two hits and two stolen bases Thursday, malfunctioning pants obviously did not faze her.

"I got a lot of grief from my team, definitely, but I just brushed it off and tried to ignore them," Gagliano said. "For the first pitch (at bat), all I hear is my team yelling, 'Your fly's undone.' I was a little thrown off because I was laughing so much. The second pitch, I tried to relax and then I was good."

The offense had plenty to smile about. No. 7 hitter Deutsch had 3 runs batted in with a solid 2-run single after several fouls for the game's final runs. Ebeling and Pivaronas each had 2 RBI with Ebeling providing a run-scoring double in the first.

After three games shortstop Ebeling, a Loyola recruit, has 8 hits, 6 RBI and 2 doubles. Gagliano has a team-best 9 hits and 3 stolen bases and has been retired just once.

"You see their Division I credentials when they're out there. They're both very, very good players," Wheaton Academy coach Scott Mennie said.

"I think (our lineup) went up there wanting to hit today. They were swinging at first pitches, at good pitches. Our good hitters are always going to hit but a lot of times the bottom of the order gets a little bit tentative. Today they really came out there swinging."

The three hits for Fenton (0-5, 0-1) included the 100th varsity hit for fourth-year varsity player Jenna Geraci leading off the second. Fenton coach Dave Mello believes she is the program's fifth or sixth player to achieve the feat. Geraci also should reach 100 RBI this month.

In her other game this season March 29, Geraci had two hits against Bloom to put her at 99.

"(Mello) told me yesterday so I went in and I was like, 'I need to get that 100th hit,' " Geraci said. "It's a good achievement. It makes you feel better as a player, as a leader, too."

Pivaronas, a four-year varsity standout for the Warriors, was excited about one of her relatively few shutouts.

Key strikeouts stopped the Bison with runners at third and second with two outs in the third and third and first with one out in the fourth. After that strikeout catcher Haleigh VanWagner threw out the trail runner trying to steal second.

"Andi just pitched magnificently, had the game under control all along," Mennie said.

"The wind was kind of crappy a little bit, but other than that it was OK," Pivaronas said. "I'm pretty used to pitching in cold weather or with the sun in my face considering in travel you have to pitch whenever it's sunny."

Fenton sophomore shortstop and leadoff hitter Isa Lozada had her team-best fifth hit this season in the third and senior catcher Keila Lozada singled in the fourth. Isa Lozada also already has five stolen bases.

Senior pitcher Taylor Spizzirri (0-3) was relieved in the third by freshman Gianna Mendoza. Fenton is scheduled Friday to play at home against Elmwood Park and then at night at Addison Trail. The junior varsity needs Mendoza in the afternoon before she rejoins the varsity in Addison.

"Taylor will throw most of the two games so I told her (today) if we don't do some damage, I'm just going to save her," Mello said. "We just struggled today. They put the ball in play and our defense let us down (with 3 errors)."

Gagliano's pants may have let her down but apparently they're not going away anytime soon.

"We have a superstition now that Meghan has to wear those pants every single game or else we won't win anymore," Pivaronas said.

"I don't know," Gagliano said. "These are the only pants I wear so I don't know what I'm going to do."