Softball: Best-foot forward time for Antioch
Foote-notes have only intensified Antioch and Lakes' softball rivalry this season.
So there was more than bragging rights at stake Thursday, when the District 117 rivals got together in sunny Lake Villa. Not only did the winner move into sole possession of first place in the Northern Lake County Conference with a week to play, but Antioch sisters Jill and Piper Foote got to swing the bat for the second time this season against their cousin, Lakes pitcher Kayla Foote.
"We played together for many years and we're pretty close," Piper Foote said. "We talk every day. But we try to keep things classy between the two of us."
It's family, after all.
"We always hope for the best for each other," Jill Foote said. "It's just a huge rivalry with us, and obviously (Kayla) is on Lakes so it's an even bigger rivalry."
A footnote to go along with the Foote-notes? Antioch coach Anthony Rocco had never won at Lakes in his six years .
"This field has been cursed for me," Rocco said with a laugh.
No longer.
Jill Foote parked her sixth homer of the season, Piper Foote drove in 4 runs, and Antioch won 10-0 - in five innings, no less.
Antioch (21-5, 11-2) got to Kayla Foote for 12 hits, including two apiece by Piper Foote, Ashley Stephens, Megan Lawrence and Jackalyn Geraty. Piper Foote, Stephens, Avery Malicki and Geraty all doubled.
"We have a lot of practices where all we do is purely hitting," Geraty said. "Sometimes we're all 'on' and Rocco likes to say that when the weather gets warm that's when we do our best because we're not really a team for the cold. So when the sun is shining, I think that's really when we get going. Our bats heat up, we heat up."
Antioch leads Lakes (16-9, 10-3) by one game with one NLCC game left for each team. Antioch will capture the inaugural NLCC championship if it wins at Grayslake North next Thursday. Grayslake North lost to Antioch 9-2 two weeks ago but was one inning away from winning at Lakes last week. So Antioch coach Anthony Rocco knows anything can happen.
"(Grayslake North's) got three really good hitters," Rocco said of Grace Brown, Jenna Pozezinski and Faith Standerski. "They're nothing to sniff at. I know they lost to Round Lake, but you still can't take anyone lightly."
Lakes, which closes out NLCC play at Round Lake next Tuesday, beat Antioch 15-7 on April 18.
"They checked out," coach Bill Hamill said of his Eagles, who saw Antioch blow the game open with 5 runs in the fifth. "We beat (Antioch) pretty good the last time. I told them, 'This doesn't go for all 15 on the team. But you guys weren't ready to play today.' "
Antioch senior Stephanie Bonaguidi (14-1) continued her rock-solid pitching, throwing 4⅓ innings and allowing just 1 hit, a single on the infield to No. 9 hitter/freshman Amanda Stargardt leading off the third. Camryn Jones started the Lakes fifth with a walk, and then after pinch hitter Melanie Grupka sacrificed bunted and Rachel Becker drew the fourth walk issued by Bonaguidi, Rocco went to his closer.
Hannah Cook got a flyball to left fielder Lawrence and soft liner to shortstop Annie Wagner to end it, preventing the game from extending to the sixth.
Bonaguidi struck out four, including the side in the second.
"We were front foot, and we were putting the ball up in the air," Hamill said. "Good for (Bonaguidi). She kept us off-balance."
Lawrence's RBI single in the second started the scoring. Jill Foote led off the third by pulling her cousin's pitch over the fence in left field. Three batters later, Stephens ripped an RBI single. Piper Foote's double plated two more runs in the fourth to make it 5-0.
"It's a big day," Jill Foote said. "All of us did well. We were all hitting. We were all seeing the ball really well."