Jacobs 2, Crystal Lake South 0
One more to go.
At the start of the season, the Jacobs softball team made its No. 1 goal for the season an outright conference championship, not one the Golden Eagles would have to share as they did the last two years.
With a win at home against Dundee-Crown on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles will have accomplished that mission.
Jacobs (20-2, 11-0) secured at least a share of the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title Friday with a 2-0 win over Crystal Lake South in Algonquin.
"We still have work to do," said Jacobs coach Jeremy Bauer, whose team will play four games today in the Harlem Invitational, including one against Class 3A power Rock Island Alleman.
"This clinches a share but that's not good enough. We want to win it outright."
Freshman Kara Arceneaux moved her record to 9-0 for the season by tossing a 2-hitter with 6 strikeouts and just 1 walk.
"It's really hard to put it into perspective right now," Bauer said when asked about Kara Arceneaux's contributions as a freshman. "To go 9-0 and only give up one earned run all year … she knows got the defense behind her but I saw her reach back for the fastball when she needed it today."
The Golden Eagles' rookie got support from her teammates defensively all day and the Eagles scored 2 unearned runs off South senior Jessica Gable in the bottom of the first inning, then made them hold up the rest of the day.
Sophomore Sara Jacobson led off the inning with a walk and went to second on Julie Escareno's sacrifice bunt. Senior Lauren Arceneaux then reached on an infield error that allowed Jacobson to go to third. Lauren Arceneaux then stole second just before senior Lizzie Andrews drilled a 2-run single to right field.
"What (Jacobs) is good at is capitalizing on every mistake you make," said South coach Scott Busam. "We made one mistake today, it cost us two unearned runs and that was the game."
Neither team got a runner past second base the rest of the day as Kara Arceneaux and Gable locked up in a stellar veteran vs. rookie duel.
"Gable pitched awesome today," Busam said of his right-hander, who allowed only 5 hits. "She did a great job."
But Kara Arceneaux was a bit better, something her older sister is loving more and more.
"I love playing with her; she's awesome," said Lauren Arceneaux of her sister. "We've been looking forward to this for a long time. I've seen her pitch since she was little and she's surprised me a little bit, but I knew she could do it."
Lauren Arceneaux, the area's leading hitter who had 2 singles in the game, was also happy with clinching a share of the Valley title but not ready to break out the silly string just yet.
"It feels good to get at least a share of the title but now we want to win it outright," she said. "That was our first goal when the season started. We're just trying to focus on the rest of the conference season and not look too far ahead."
Emily Mahoney had both hits for the Gators (14-9, 6-6), one of them a double.