French Ks 16 to spark Storm to a sweep
South Elgin senior Rebecca French was one inning away Saturday from completing maybe her best pitching performance.
Going into the top of the seventh inning, French had 13 strikeouts and was working on a perfect game.
But a bunt single from St. Edward's Kelly Knott to lead off the inning ended the perfect game and an error -- after a strikeout -- ended the shutout.
French stayed composed enough and her 16th strikeout with runners on second and third gave the Storm a 3-1 victory in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader in South Elgin.
"A few changeups in the beginning got a lot of strikeouts," French said. "Then they couldn't catch up to the riseball."
The Storm (3-1) finished the sweep with a 10-0 five-inning victory in Game 2.
French struck out the side in the first, fourth and sixth innings. She had 3 strikeouts in the seventh, but Megan Pozezinski reached after striking out as the ball was in the dirt. The throw to first went into right field, allowing Knott to score from second.
"That's a good pitcher," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said of French. "She had that changeup working and kept us off balance."
The Storm got all the offense it needed in the fourth inning. Kim Pierce led off with a single to center. Lauren Vitiello followed with her first varsity home run, a 2-run shot to left-center.
Courtney Bosteder then tripled and scored on Brittany Boelter's infield single as South Elgin took a 3-0 lead.
"If we put a bunch of hits together in a row, that is what will make us a dangerous team," Storm coach Jason Schaal said.
Erin McGraw took the loss, allowing 7 hits and 3 runs in five innings. The senior walked one and struck out four.
In Game 2, South Elgin sent 14 batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring 8 runs.
Stephanie Sanocki, Pierce, Vitiello and Layla Ismajlaj all reached base twice in the inning. Kiersa Parillo and Caitlin Stredde each had 2-run singles. Sanocki and Pierce added RBI doubles.
Pierce, who had 4 hits on the day, ended the game with a 2-run home run after Sanocki walked in the fifth inning.
Cary Thereon earned the victory, allowing 3 hits in five innings. She struck out four.
Sarah Field was the losing pitcher for St. Edward (4-2). She gave up 8 hits, walked five, hit 2 batters and struck out one.