Softball: Tyler mixes things up in Glenbard East triumph over West Chicago
When opponents step up to the plate to face Glenbard East's Tori Tyler they have to have a lot of things go through their mind. An awful lot of things.
The Rams junior throws both two- and four-seam fastballs and also has a nasty change-up. On top of that, Tyler has a screwball, a curveball and a riseball that often leads to softly hit pop flies to the infield.
On Friday she threw a half-dozen different pitches while striking out a personal-high 11 in a 6-3 Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division defeat of visiting West Chicago.
"My screwball was helping me the most and then (coach Dawn Chantos) started calling the change-up late and that helped a lot," said Tyler, who has struck out 21 batters over her last two games.
Chantos, in the first year of her second stint as the Rams coach, starts a freshman at shortstop, a sophomore behind the plate and has just one senior starter, first baseman Kate Tadda. So it helps plenty to have Tyler developing into a leader on the mound and at the plate.
"She throws six pitches and they were all spinning well tonight," Chantos said. "I had a great time calling the game. Her changeup, we were able to save that until the second or third time around their lineup. That changeup was key late in the game. It threw them off guard and that's what we were hoping for."
The Rams grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning, which started quietly with a pair of groundouts. But that's when Tyler doubled off the wall for the first of her three hits. Elisa Versetto, Alivia Chuman and freshman shortstop Lexi Gonzalez all followed with two-out hits as Glenbard East (3-7, 2-1) scored three times off Wildcats starter Taylor Dehaeseleer.
West Chicago countered with a 2-run double off the bat of Aimee Cejna in the third and then drew even on an RBI single by Alyssa Szulczewski in the third. On the tying hit the Wildcats lost third baseman Maddie Smith, who injured her leg and was thrown out at third base.
"There were definitely a lot of momentum shifts during this game," Wildcats coach Sean Gimpert said. "We started out kind of flat. Then we come back and tie it up, and then Maddie gets hurt. We just have to stay focused and be sharper."
The Rams scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of fourth without a hit, as three walks and wild pitch brought Sam Dooley home with what proved to be the winning run. Gonzalez later picked up her third hit - an RBI single - as the Rams tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth off West Chicago reliever Izzy Zentner.
"I definitely think we're peaking and we're getting better. I'm really confident in my infield and my outfield," Tyler said. "A lot of my balls do go to my shortstop Lexi and she's only a freshman. I have a lot of confidence in her."