Lake Park 4, St. Charles North 0
Getting ahead of the hitters wasn't a problem for Lake Park's Missy Mazur Wednesday afternoon.
Striking them out wasn't either.
Two days after recording 13 punchouts in a 3-1 victory over 2007 Elite Eight qualifier Resurrection, the senior pitcher turned in another dominating performance, fanning 12 while tossing a 2-hitter during the Lancers' 4-0 Upstate Eight Conference softball triumph over host St. Charles North.
Mazur (4-0), who recorded at least one strikeout in every inning, was nearly untouchable, allowing only a harmless bunt single by Natalie Capone (in the fourth) and Brooke Jaeger's infield hit (in the fifth) while not yielding a walk.
"That's what got her into trouble last year," Lancers coach Cray Allen said of her control. "She probably gave up a hit every other inning last year and it was always after a 2-0, 3-1 count.
"Before the season, I showed her stat after stat and I think she has taken it to heart. Her and her catcher (Alexis Munaco) realize how important those first couple pitches are to get ahead (of the hitter)."
St. Charles North (4-1, 1-1) senior Christine Truesdell (1-1) matched Mazur pitch for pitch through the first 2 innings before the Lancers' Lynsey Ciezki smacked a 1-0 offering over the fence in straightaway center for the game's first run.
"It's the first home run of the season and actually of my career over the fence," said the DePaul-bound shortstop. "I thought it was going to hit before the fence. I saw it go over (the fence) and I was the happiest girl in the world."
The Lancers (4-0, 2-0) added 3 insurance runs in the fifth, keyed by Melissa Montemayer's 2-run single.
Montemayer, who entered the game in the fourth, also walked and laid down a sacrifice bunt while sophomore Chelsea Gieseke began the fifth-inning rally with a single.
"I asked our No. 9 hitter (Gieseke) to step into the ball and crowd the plate a little bit," said Allen. "She started that rally off and then we got a huge hit from a senior (Montemayer) who hadn't gotten a lot of playing time.
"She came in and made the most of her playing time. She hit the first pitch that she saw (in the fifth) and drilled it into center field. That's what the other girls have got to understand. You've got to be ready to swing the bat."
Something the North Stars struggled with Wednesday.
"How many (of the strikeouts) were looking?" North Stars coach April Stary asked after the game. "It's just a matter of our kids have to get the bat on the ball."
On this day, Mazur, who fanned 6 St. Charles North hitters looking, was simply too much.
"She's a force to be reckoned with," said Stary. "She's obviously got her legs underneath her already this season.
"True to form -- she was good last year and she looks good again this year."