Softball: Fast start lifts Larkin over Elgin
After three years at shortstop, Haley Bohne moved behind the plate for her senior year at Larkin.
The Royals needed a veteran to work with their young pitchers. Coach Anne Vogt knew just who to turn to.
"With some inexperienced pitchers you have to have someone back there and she's really stepped up and done a nice job," Vogt said. "I know it's not her favorite job to have ice on her knees after every game but she's really doing a nice job making runners think twice. And she's got a great relationship with both pitchers."
It was Kiara Villa's turn Tuesday, and the junior went the distance in an 11-6 win over Elgin.
Larkin improved to 5-15 and 3-9 in the Upstate Eight River while Elgin remained winless.
Bohne also made a big impact at the plate. She hit a 2-run home run in her first at-bat, then walked her final three times up.
The last two times she walked, Bohne stole second and third base. She scored on all four of her at-bats.
"If they intentionally walk me we're going to make them pay," said Bohne, a two-sport standout who will play softball and basketball next year at ECC.
Bohne's homer was her seventh of the season and scored Liz Bowman who had walked for a quick 2-0 lead.
Emma Carrero doubled and scored on a groundout by Sandra Gomez Herrera to bring the Maroons within 2-1 before Larkin scored 7 times in the bottom of the second for a 9-1 lead.
The Royals capitalized on 4 walks in the inning. Kathy Garcia provided the big blow with a 3-run double.
"In that second inning I feel everything that could go wrong did go wrong," Elgin coach Jenna Szabo said.
The Maroons scored twice in the third and fifth innings to get within 10-6.
"We were chipping away," Szabo said. "I told them it can be 10-0 and we can go home in 5 or we can make this a game. They didn't give up."
Elgin starter Abby Sensor struck out 12 and held Larkin to 2 runs over the final 4 innings. Both of those runs came when the Maroons intentionally walked Bohne leading off an inning, she stole second and third base, and scored - first on Katie Turner's single and then on Abbie Stout's ground ball.
"We said if you are going to put her on she's got a triple in two pitches," Vogt said. "Our team did a great job behind her."
Villa helped herself with a 2-run single in the second and another hit in the sixth. Bowman and Turner also had 2 hits for Larkin.
"We didn't play the best defense behind her (Villa) and that's always hard on a pitcher but she kept her head high," Vogt said. "She's a workhorse."