Softball: Full speed ahead for Rother, Libertyville
It took an umpire to do what catchers have been unable to do this spring.
He thwarted a potential stolen base by Libertyville senior Kenzie Rother.
Rother stole her 32nd and 33rd bases of the season in the first inning of top-seeded Libertyville's 6-0 win over No. 16 Lake Forest in a Class 4A regional semifinal at Stevenson on Thursday. Rother led off the third with her second single in as many at-bats. She then tried to steal again but was called out for leaving first base too soon (before Lake Forest pitcher Ashley Dueringer delivered the ball to the plate).
"I've had that umpire before," Rother said. "I was shocked he called me on it."
Rother set Libertyville's school record for stolen bases in a single season last week.
"This is the first time she's been called for (leaving the base early) all year," Libertyville coach Elissa Wisniewski said.
Rother doesn't plan on slowing down, and neither does Libertyville (27-5), which plays host Stevenson (14-18) at 11 a.m. Saturday for the regional championship. The ninth-seeded Patriots lost to the Wildcats 16-0 and 12-7 during North Suburban Conference action.
Hannah Heraty (23-5) pitched a 1-hitter against Lake Forest (11-13-1), allowing just a two-out single in the first to Sydney Martens. The Dayton-bound righty struck out eight, didn't walk a batter and faced only one batter over the minimum. Catcher Sarah Hoyer threw out speedy Jon'nah Williams trying to steal second base.
Libertyville beat Lake Forest 16-3 and 10-0 in NSC action, but the Scouts looked like a different team. The Wildcats led only 1-0 thanks to an unearned in the second before scoring 3 runs in the fourth thanks to two-out RBI hits by Maddy Hollinger, Hoyer (triple) and Emily Hilldale.
Lyndsey Lyon hit a long home run to left field to make it 5-0 in the fifth.
"Props to (Lake Forest)," Wisniewski said. "They've been doing a really good job the last half of the year. They beat Lake Zurich (this month), and they've been playing teams really close. They've been doing a lot of good things. Their pitcher (Dueringer) has been moving the ball around, changing speeds and getting hitters to be out in front, and their defense has been making plays."
Along with teammates Heraty, Lyon, Franny Quenan (2-for-2, 2 doubles) and Hoyer (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Rother received her all-conference certificate from Wisniewski after the game. Maggie Evers (1-for-3) earned honorable mention all-NSC honors.
A four-year varsity starter, Rother is healthy after playing hurt last spring and summer. She had surgery last September to repair her left kneecap and had a 15-week recovery period afterward.
"It feels good," Rother said of her knee. "I just got to keep running."
Her hefty stolen-base total has been one of her rewards.
"I didn't really think about (the record) my first two years, and then last year with my knee injury I just tried to do what I could," Rother said. "But this year, especially being my senior year, I really wanted to come out and do what I could do for my team and advance on the bases so they could hit me in. I got some great hitters after me."