Softball: Hinsdale South knocks off Benet

When you pound out 19 runs, the defense can easily get overlooked. But that was not the case with Hinsdale South's big softball win at Benet.

The Hornets scored early and often while building a 14-run lead after four and half innings en route to a 19-7 defeat of the young Redwings on Thursday. But the glove work turned in by Hinsdale South was just as important as the team's 20-hit attack.

While Benet was done in by a number of errors, the Hornets (3-7) were sharp in the field, turning hard line drives into outs. They even snaring a shot ticketed for left field and converting it into a 6-5 double play after shortstop Donna Stevens made a leaping grab and then doubled off a runner at third in the bottom of the fourth.

Stevens, who had 3 hits and drove in 5 runs, said the team's early outburst helped fire up the defense.

"When we get ahead offensively it gives the defense a little bit more room and more confidence," said Stevens, who lashed out a pair of 2-run doubles. "When we brought it with the bats our defense followed."

Each team scored twice in the first inning, with Hinsdale South getting a run-scoring single from Kaitlyn Little and the Redwings drawing even after a single from freshman Alexa Kozminski.

But the Hornets scored two more times in the second, five times in the third and just kept on producing - three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth made it a 16-2 game.

"It was good. We played a solid seven innings and everyone contributed," Hinsdale South coach Kelly Van Hout said. "It was a good team effort. It was nice to get the bats moving through the lineup."

The Hornets' Jasmine Carlson failed to get down a sacrifice bunt in the 5-run third, but after two foul ball attempts, she swung away and smacked a 2-run homer over the center field wall. It was that kind of day for the winners, and pitcher Marissa Marrera took advantage of the offensive and defensive support to notch her first win this spring.

"It feels way better when I have my defense backing me up," said Marrera, who turned the 16-2 lead over to Sam Pacentine in the bottom of the fifth. "It was really helpful having our offense do what they did today. Having the runs scored I was much more relaxed out there, and then our defense looked amazing today."

Benet, which has suffered injuries to two pitchers this spring, avoided a shortened contest by scoring five times in the bottom of the fifth. Kaitlyn Christensen had a 2-run double in the inning and No. 9 hitter Victoria Knott added a run-scoring single.

"We've been struggling, but it's still early in the season," Benet coach Jerry Schilf said of his 1-4 squad. "Hats off to Hinsdale South. They played much better in the field today than we did, that's for sure."