Softball: Another big day for Lake Zurich's Guercio
When she was a little softball slugger, Amanda Guercio watched one of Lake Zurich's greatest of all-time. She even lived in the same neighborhood as Megan Mattera, who went to high school with Guercio's brother Matthew.
"I remember watching her when she was playing high school softball," Guercio said of Mattera, a 2011 graduate whose big bat and strong pitching arm helped her twice earn the honor of captain of the Daily Herald Lake County all-area team. "I was always so intimidated. I was like, 'That's going to be me one day.' It was just so cool watching the big girls play."
Today, Guercio is one of Lake Zurich's big girls - and not just because she stands 5 feet 10 and provides an intimidating presence in the batter's box.
With 3 home runs in the Bears' doubleheader split with nonconference visitor Vernon Hills on Saturday - Lake Zurich won the opener 17-7, before the Cougars hung on for an 11-10 win - the Indiana State-bound senior catcher has 14 homers on the season in just 17 games. That ties the single-season school record that Guercio shares with Mattera.
Saturday was April 22, mind you. There's nearly a month left in the regular season.
"I worked a lot in the off-season, trying to build up my strength and just perfect my form and hit the ball hard every time," Guercio said.
"I don't really focus on home runs that much," she added. "I just try to make solid contact and get on base when my team needs me to."
The split left Lake Zurich with a 9-8 record, while Vernon Hills headed home with a 5-11 mark.
Guercio went 4-for-4 in Game 1, which ended on Megan Croke's walk-off single in the fifth. Guercio singled, homered (2-run shot) and doubled in her first 3 at-bats, before settling for an RBI single in her final plate appearance, thus finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
In Game 2, she hit a 2-run homer in the first and got plunked by soft change-ups her next two times up. Vernon Hills retired her on a popup, before Guercio launched a towering 2-run blast to center field in the seventh to pull Lake Zurich within one.
"Confidence," Lake Zurich coach Amanda Rodriguez said when asked what she sees from Guercio when it's her turn to bat. "She steps out of the dugout, and she's focused. She has fun and stays relaxed, but the second she steps into that box, it's 'game on.' "
Game 2 ended in bizarre fashion. Sarah Schnecker followed Guercio's homer by drawing a walk. Then after a fly to right for the second out, Mackenzie Brinn's groundball scooted into right field for an error. Schnecker raced to third and when the throw bounced into foul territory, she sprinted home, only to be thrown out by freshman left fielder Quin Yuter.
"I'm happy to pull out a win on that," Cougars shortstop Nicole Pieper said.
Pieper was equally happy for her freshman sister Brooke, who pitched 2⅔ innings in relief of winning pitcher Hannah Monteith and picked up the save in her varsity debut.
During the middle of Game 1, Vernon Hills coach Jan Pauly made a phone call to summon Brooke Pieper, a lefty, from the JV team after starting pitcher Madison Johnson had to be pulled because of a sore arm.
"Gutsy," Pauly said of Brooke Pieper's performance.
"I was very proud of her," Nicole Pieper said of her kid sister. "She was obviously nervous coming up and being with new people. She's happy with herself, and she should be."
Nicole Pieper (2-for-5, 3 RBI) and freshman Elisa Handler (3-for-4, walk, 5 RBI) each doubled twice for Vernon Hills. Rachel Wright (2-for-3) had a double as well for the Cougars, who continue to play without shortstop Delaney Bowen.
Pauly said Bowen, who suffered a concussion in practice the week following the Cougars' Spring Break trip to Alabama, could be back this week. The sophomore, who's a Purdue commit, was an all-area player last year.
"That changes our dynamic, sure," Pauly said of Bowen's absence. "She brings speed when she gets on base and flexibility in the infield. She's just a good player."
Guercio, Schnecker (2-for-4, double), Julia Zaucha (3-for-5, double, 3 RBI) and Taylor Zelich (2-for-4) paced Lake Zurich's Game-2 attack. In the opener, Jessica Puccinelli (3 doubles, 5 RBI) and Zaucha (double, 2 RBI) each went 3-for-4. Croke (2 RBI) and Stephanie Keefe were both 2-for-4.
Sara Lenzi was 3-for-3 with a double for Vernon Hills, which jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. Handler led off the game with a triple, and Meg Finerty had an RBI double later in the inning. Nicole Pieper had a pair of RBI.
"Our approach was a lot better at the plate today," Pauly said after Game 2. "Absolutely."