Softball: Huntley hits 4 homers in win over Dundee-Crown
The wind was blowing out at the Dundee-Crown softball diamond, and Huntley took full advantage.
The Red Raiders slugged 4 home runs and two pitchers combined to shut out the Chargers, 9-0, in the Fox Valley Conference opener for both teams Tuesday.
Sofia Tenuta and Teagan O'Rilley homered back-to-back in the second inning to start the scoring. Autumn Kasal and Paige Berkmeyer added solo shots in the sixth and seventh.
Meanwhile, Tiffany Giese and Briana Bower combined on a 5-hitter for the Red Raiders (8-1, 1-0).
Tenuta added an RBI single in the third. Grace Kutz had 2 hits, including a run-scoring double. Berkmeyer, Huntley's freshman second baseman, also had an RBI single and made a diving stop to rob Kylie Ryza of a hit in the fourth inning.
With the wind gusting out toward left field, the Red Raiders brought out their power-hitting lineup.
"This team is extremely deep," said Huntley coach Mark Petryniec. "We are fortunate enough that if we're going to have to play small ball we're going to be able to do that. We do have some girls that do have some power. Whether we're going to go with a bigger hitter lineup or small ball with the slap hitters, we're fortunate that we can play two different styles of softball."
The Chargers had their chances. Down 2-0, they loaded the bases with 1 out in the second, but Giese struck out Ryza and Megan Thompson to get out of it.
"I stressed out a little bit," said Giese, who also had 3 hits. "I just always know that I have to hit my spots and trust my defense. That's what I try to do: hit my spots and stay calm."
Berkmeyer struck out her first time up, but ended up with hits in 2 of her final 3 at-bats.
"I knew she was going to come inside on me because she'd been coming in, so I just drove it," she said.
It was a rough start to the conference schedule for D-C, despite 3 hits by Alaina Azar. Sydney Ruggles struck out 11 from the circle.
"I don't think that defensively we played a solid game," said Charger coach Tracy Beatty. "I told them that you can't give opportunities to a team like this. We have to back Ruggles defensively, and I think we can do a better job of that."
After Giese escaped the bases-loaded jam in the second, the Raiders added 3 more runs with 2 outs in the third. Tenuta and Berkmeyer had run-scoring singles and another run scored on an error. Huntley then added single runs in each of the last 4 innings.