Softball: Allen has a grand day for Naperville Central against Hinsdale South
Through four and half innings on Monday, Naperville Central left fielder Katlyn Allen was having a pretty good game.
In the bottom of the fifth it turned grand.
The Redhawks sophomore blasted her first varsity home run, and it just so happened to come with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning. The blast - part of a 7-run outburst in the inning - pushed host Naperville Central (5-2) ahead of Hinsdale South 13-5. It proved to be essential when the Hornets scored six times in the top of the seventh before succumbing 13-11.
"I just try and look for strikes. I didn't expect to hit a grand slam," said Allen, who finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk and 6 RBI. "I was just trying to get on base and help my team get one or two (runs) for the next batter, just anything to help. I don't want to try and do too much and pop out."
What Allen actually did was pop the ball over the fence in left field and set off a big celebration on the diamond.
"I felt really good and I was like, Oh my god is it going over the fence? I heard coach (Mike) Ortiz say, 'Grand slam,' and I got really happy and was jumping in the air before I got to second base."
Allen was just one of many Redhawks hitters who played a role in the 15-hit barrage, and with the Hornets constantly fighting back, each run proved important. Leadoff hitter Grace Biondo singled and scored to start a 3-run first and reached base safely three more times to finish with 3 runs scored.
Winning pitcher Halle Arends helped her cause with 2 hits and 3 RBI at bat, and catcher Izzy Gomez went 4-for-4 from the No. 9 spot in the order.
"I really needed to use my defense, because they're a real good hitting team," said Arends, who improved to 4-1 this spring after a 9-strikeout complete-game effort that was better than the score would indicate. "It really came down to us making the plays at the right time, and then getting the hits when we were up."
The Redhawks led 5-0 after two innings before the Hornets scored four times in the top of the third on four hits but left the bases loaded. Donna Stevens and Madison Kern each had run-scoring hits for Hinsdale South in the inning.
The Redhawks later were clinging to a 6-5 lead in the fifth before the game changed on the 7-run outburst highlighted by Allen's slam.
"We fight every time we're down," Hornets coach Kelly Van Hout said. "They certainly don't give up. We had them on the ropes, we just didn't get that dagger shot. We get hits, but we move them base to base instead of that gap shot.
"Absolutely, we're contributing one through nine, we're hitting the ball. But we've got to get a gap shot or two with the bases loaded to put more pressure them."
Arends retired the first two hitters in the seventh and an infield error meant all six Hornets runs were unearned. But Ellie Tichtelberg coaxed a two-out bases-loaded walk and Stevens delivered a two-out RBI single as the visitors made things interesting before losing.
"So it looks like the grand slam was nice and we needed them (runs) all," Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. "It was obviously a big hit in a big inning. You talk about insurance, we needed them all."