Softball: Pienschke sparks Huntley's comeback at Batavia
When Huntley's Cailyn Pienschke led off the top of fifth with her team trailing Batavia 5-0 Saturday afternoon, the junior infielder just wanted to get on base. She did more than that.
Pienschke smashed a double into the left field gap starting a 6-run rally that put the Red Raiders in front for good. She scored the first run four batters later when Rylie Porretto singled up the middle. A Pienschke single ended the rally in her second at-bat in the frame and plated Teagan O'Rilley with the go-ahead run.
Huntley added 5 more runs in the last 2 innings to beat the host Bulldogs, 11-5 in the finale of the Batavia softball invite.
"When I got on I knew my team would get me around and they would get on and score," Pienschke said of her first at-bat in the fifth. "It was a good ending. Everyone hit well."
Batavia starting pitcher Kaylan Waldron stymied the Red Raider offense early in the game. Huntley had runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings but Waldon wiggled out of the jams. In the fourth, Autumn Kasal doubled with one out and stole third base but got no farther as Waldron struck out the next two batters.
Huntley (4-4) finally got to the junior southpaw in the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate. In addition to collecting six hits in the inning, the Red Raiders capitalized on a walk and Bulldog miscues.
"Early on in the game, we were putting the ball up in the air. We made some adjustments to put the ball on the ground and good things happened when you put the ball in the dirt," said Huntley coach Mark Petryniec. "We have been in a little bit of a hitting slump and we were able to break out of it today. Once they got some confidence, they just kept going. Every girl contributed today."
Batavia (4-4) broke the scoreless deadlock with a 5-run third inning.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases on a walk and three straight singles. Huntley starting pitcher Hali Marte then gave up another single and walk to score the first two runs.
Batavia scored its next run on a pop-up to the shortstop that caught all the runners off base. Rachael Lovestrand got back to third base before being doubled up and then scored when the Red Raider infield tried to throw out Katy David at first.
Brooklyn Glavach plated the final two runs with a single.
Tiffany Giese replaced Marte in the circle in the fourth inning. After giving up back-to-back singles with 2 outs in the frame, Giese (4-2), who got credit for the win, did not allow another Bulldog to reach base, retiring the last 10 batters in a row.
Waldron (2-2) took the loss.
"We sometimes get a little too comfortable out there. The games is never over. It does not matter what type of lead you have, you continue to play like it is a 0-0 game," said Batavia coach Lupe Castellanos. "Sometimes when you get comfortable, you make a couple of errors against good teams like Huntley. You can't make errors between their good hitters. You've got to limit your errors and play good defense."