Girls just wanna have fun? South Elgin's sure do

Jason Schaal knew he had some pretty good talent returning to his South Elgin softball team this season.

After finishing its first varsity season 16-15, the Storm returned virtually everyone this season, including its first seniors, Rebecca French, Tegan O'Connor and Stephanie Sanocki.

"Senior leadership is vital in high school sports," Schaal said. "And each year I've been talking to Rebecca and Stephanie, and then Tegan when she came over (from Elgin High) last year about that. Once we get to regional time they'll help push the intensity because they know their high school careers are coming to an end."

What South Elgin has done so far this season is win, and have fun doing it. Going into Thursday's game against powerful Bartlett the Storm stood at 10-3 on the season and had won 6 straight.

"I think the girls have started to believe," said Schaal, who coached South Elgin's varsity girls basketball team as well last season but gave that up this year to concentrate on softball. "I thought we could have a good year this year and have a lot of fun."

And that's just what the Storm has been doing, mainly because the team has a lof of talent, and because Schaal and assistant coach Maryann Stephens bring an intense but, at the same time, relaxed atmosphere to the program.

"Coach Schaal is really laid back and he likes to have fun with us but we definitely know when to stop and bear down," said French, a right-hander who was 7-3 in the circle going into the Bartlett game. "We all have the same desire to win. We just have fun with each other on and off the field. We joke around and we don't get stressed out about stuff."

Stephens provides the Storm's hitters with a little incentive as well.

"If you beat out an infield hit she gives you a candy bar," said Sanocki, who was hitting .297 to start the week. "It's just a great atmosphere."

While the three seniors are the leaders of this Storm team, the squad is diverse in age and blessed with talent up and down the order. Sophomore leadoff hitter and left fielder Caitlin Stredde, a returning all-area player along with French, is hitting .341 with 4 doubles and 13 RBI after a slow start; junior Kim Pierce, a transfer from Florida who patrols center field, is the second leading hitter in the area at .576; and cleanup hitter, junior first baseman/pitcher Lauren Vitiello, is third in the area at .545. Pierce has 17 RBI and Vitiello 16.

Juniors Layla Ismajlaj (INF) and Brittany Boelter (INF) and sophomores Kiersa Parillo (IF/OF), Alyssa Krause (INF) and Courtney Bosteder (IF/OF) and freshman Katelyn Stonecipher (OF) have all made key contributions as well.

"We have a very good offensive team this year," said O'Connor, the catcher of a squad that had a .346 team batting average and had scored 74 runs in 11 games to start the week. "Kim boosted us up a lot and we've just melded together. We did very well last year and this year we've taken it a step further."

The pitching hasn't been all bad either. French has picked up the bulk of the innings but as juniors, Vitiello and Cary Thereon are in the mix as well.

"Every time Rebecca steps in the circle we know we're going to get a solid outing, and Lauren and Cary see that too," Schaal said.

Some observers would tell you that Pierce has become the X-factor for this team. She came to South Elgin from the Sunshine State on Feb. 3 and has left the "new kid on the block" moniker in the rear view mirror with her performance.

"Having a girl like Kim move in has helped the whole team," Schaal said. "When she gets in the batter's box her only focus is to hit it and hit it hard. That creates competition within itself and the whole team has been feeding off it. When she first moved in everyone was like 'Who's the new girl?' I introduced her to a couple girls on the team right away and they started hanging out. Kim just wanted to play ball. She won the center field job and that moved Caiti Stredde to left. At first that was tough for Caiti but she's accepted it. And with Stoney (Stonecipher) in right, I feel like I have three center fielders. We have three deer in the outfield who can really fly and that's helping us out a lot."

It's never easy for teenage girls to accept a new person on a team but the Storm has come around to embrace Pierce.

"We all heard a lot of good things about Kim when she first came here and we were all excited," said O'Connor, who will play at Clarke College in Iowa next year. "I think she's been a great addition to the team,"

Said French: "She came in and wasn't shy or anything. Kim earned her spot out there."

And Sanocki: "Kim really proved herself. She stepped up and she's a great part of the team."

And that's what South Elgin is truly proving to be -- a team -- as the postseason draws nearer.

"We all work together," said French, a three-sport athlete who will attend Grand Valley State in Michigan next year and hopes to walk on the softball team there. "I think we can go far this year."

Sanocki, who hasn't decided where she's going to college yet, points to a 9-8 win over St. Charles East recently as proof that the Storm is ready to take the next step.

"We really have the bats going this year," she said. "Last year our offense was kind of weak. We played good defense but if you don't score runs you can't win. We also have more speed this year and a lot more intensity. We can turn it on just like that. Look at that St. Charles East game. We were down 7-0 and came back and won. That game was amazing."

Just as the progression of a team in just its second varsity season has been.