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Softball: ICCP continues its winning ways

There was no such thing as the Monday blahs for the IC Catholic Prep softball team.

The Knights smashed 13 hits and got top-notch pitching en route to a 10-0 five-inning contest against host Fenton at Redmond Park in Bensenville.

The victory pushed IC Catholic Prep to 19-1 overall and 6-1 in the Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division. While the Knights are racking up wins, coach Frank Reaber is making adjustments as necessary.

"Our defense has been on and off recently and I have been moving kids around," he said. Against the Bison (7-12, 1-8), all-state catcher Josie Lytton started at third base against Fenton and her sister, Emma, was behind the plate. Reaber liked how that change worked.

The winning pitcher, freshman Becca Cash, allowed just 2 hits and struck out 11. She struck out the side in the third and fifth. In the fourth inning she allowed a single and walk and then struck out the next three hitters.

"I felt pretty good and I was hitting my spots," Cash said.

The Knights went ahead immediately in the first inning, jumping out to a 3-0 advantage. Dani Murillo singled to short left with one out. Josie Lytton then was hit by a pitch and Cash came to the plate with two outs. Her single to center scored Murillo. Two more runs followed on Natalie Murillo's single to short left field, which brought Lytton and Ana Maciejewski, running for Cash, home.

Josie Lytton finished with 3 hits, including a double in the fourth.

Fenton's first hit of the afternoon came in its half of the first inning on Rose Riley's ground-rule double.

IC Catholic Prep made it 5-0 in the second. With two outs Dani Murillo tripled to right and Josie Lytton singled her home.

The Knights broke the game open completely in the fifth with a 5-run, 4-hit showing.

Kayla Faber-Cournane's singled and scored on a three-base error on the same play. Kayla Cervantes and Nikki Pochop added RBI singles.

"I didn't know that ball had been overthrown until I was at second base," Faber-Cournane said.

It will be a busy week for the Knights with a road game at Illiana Christian on Tuesday, a home game Wednesday versus Walther Christian, a home-and-home series Thursday and Friday against Riverside-Brookfield. A big home contest Monday against Glenbard South will start that new week.

"We've been hitting good all year. Today, we were swinging our arms instead of our hips and not going through that motion. But it's a long season," Reaber said

As the Knights dive into this week, one player considers the key to the team's success pretty basic.

"We work well together and we pick each other up, like if somebody makes an error," Faber-Cournane said.

Fenton coach Dave Mello told his team to move on and prepare for Tuesday's home game against Riverside-Brookfield.

"(The Knights) are one of the top teams in the state. Both of our pitchers were freshmen. They both threw well. That's a potent (IC) lineup, but our defense didn't help," he said.

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