Softball: Scheitler does it all in Glenbard North win
As a freshman, Glenbard North's Kaitlyn Scheitler made a name for herself by swinging a big bat, but she didn't play a big role on the mound for the Panthers last season.
This spring she has the bat going again but is also turning into a force in the circle. In Wednesday's 13-6 DuPage Valley Conference win at Naperville North, the Panthers sophomore pitched the final five innings while earning the win, and she also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk and 2 RBI.
The score was tied at 4-4 after two innings when Scheitler entered the game and, after she allowed just 2 runs over the final five innings, Glenbard North had its third straight win after opening the season 0-7. The win over the Huskies came one day after an impressive 7-1 defeat of Wheaton Warrenville South in a game in which Scheitler started in the circle.
"I feel like it's been good for me this year pitching. I haven't been pitching for a while and I just started pitching this year," said Scheitler, who worked out of a few jams Wednesday while the Panthers' offense kept padding its lead.
The sophomore - who slugged her way to All-Area honorable mention honors in 2016 - has stepped up her pitching during DVC play, starting three times before gaining the win in relief at Naperville North.
"Last year I was always a relief pitcher," she said. "Not that I didn't want to pitch, but it was just that I wasn't a pitcher. This year I've stepped up more and I've become that pitcher."
Glenbard North jumped ahead with 3 runs in the top of the first aided by an error and a pair of walks before Scheitler's RBI single. Payton Bott walked and scored the first of her 3 runs in the second, but Naperville North drew even with a pair of runs in each the first and second innings.
Alyssa Vansinckle and Alexis Hilgert each ripped run-scoring doubles off the wall in the Huskies' half of the first. When Janelle Honaker and Maddie Vassar each had RBI hits in the second, the hosts had tied the score at 4-4.
But the Panthers' bats stayed hot - finishing with 12 hits and 7 walks - and the visitors pulled away while improving to 3-1 in the DVC and 3-7 overall.
Bott walked twice and added a single while scoring three times from the No. 8 spot.
"The team is finally coming together," the Glenbard North left fielder said. "We all understand where to go, what to do and everything is just coming together. I haven't been scoring that much so this is a good confidence boost for me. I think it was good for everybody. Everyone was hitting today."
Emma Johannes had 4 hits to lead the 2-8 Huskies, who are now 1-3 in conference play. Callie Ladone had 2 hits and a walk and Brooke Reed also had 2 hits, including an RBI double for Naperville North.
"We've got kids who can hit. We've just got to shore it up some on defense," said Huskies coach Jerry Kedziora, whose team had 14 hits. "But hats off to them (Panthers). They came out and hit."