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Softball: Strong first inning carries York to win at Glenbard West

Don't underestimate how much it meant to York to open Wednesday's West Suburban Silver softball game with 3 runs in the top of the first inning.

"That's very important, because the last three games we've lost, so to get that boost of confidence back ... . It was really good for the girls to get that 'W' there," York coach Elizabeth Munn said.

Their confidence boosted, the Dukes rolled to a 12-2 victory against Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn.

"It puts a lot of pressure off of us when we can start off strong in the first inning," said junior cleanup hitter Kyra Kroll, "so I think it really let us relax a little bit and just enjoy the game."

Kroll did a lot to enjoy. She drove in 4 runs and scored 3 more, reaching base on four of her five at-bats. The fifth was a sacrifice fly to the center-field fence that drove in the final run of the game and would have been a grand slam had it gone a foot or 2 farther.

Kroll got help from the top of the York lineup. Leadoff hitter Katherine Karnatz scored 2 runs, as did No. 2 hitter Jane Moran. Mia Tran, hitting in the third spot, scored 4 runs and drove in two more, reaching base all five at-bats. No. 5 hitter Madison Collins added 2 RBI.

"We all just felt really good with our bats," Kroll said, "and once one person got a hit it got contagious and everyone else was able to get hits too."

Starting pitcher Julia Derkowski picked up the victory for York (9-7, 2-3).

"(Derkowski) did a great job," Munn said. "I don't think she walked one person in that game and she stayed ahead in the count, which was really awesome. It was good to see."

Not bad for a team that doesn't have any seniors on the roster.

"It is a building year for us," Munn said. "It really is. It is still a young team. Some of them are still immature. They're learning, learning the game, learning to work with their teammates."

Glenbard West (2-10, 0-4) got its runs in the third inning. Cleanup hitter Eliza Pasterik's double to the left-field fence drove in Lexi Gregule and Angela Flammini. Pasterik, a junior, went 2-for-3 on the day, a hard-hit liner back at Derkowski her only out.

"She's been seeing the ball really well for us," Hilltoppers coach Mary McGrane said of Pasterik. "I've been mixing up the lineup, trying to find something that works. Initially she was in the 9 hole as our second leadoff hitter. ...

"All of a sudden she just kept making consistent contact behind Katherine (Porter, the No. 3 hitter), because Katherine is the one that's really has been driving us. So to see Eliza coming through today is huge. It should be a confidence-booster for her."

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