Injury gives St. Edward advantage in 2-1 win over Hampshire

The important part wasn't who won the game. The important part was that the injury wasn't as serious as it could have been.

With Hampshire leading St. Edward 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday, the Green Wave's Kristina Brockner ripped a shot up the middle. The ball glanced off the heel of Hampshire pitcher Tegan Singleton's right hand before careening off her forehead.

Fortunately, Singleton was not seriously injured, but she did have to come out of the game. St. Edward took advantage of the situation, scoring 4 runs after Singleton's exit to come away with a 5-2 nonconference softball win over the Whip-Purs at the Elgin Sports Complex.

"Tegan pitched a great game and that was a tough break for us," said Hampshire coach Ken Bram. "I was worried ... I was real worried. It's scary when that happens."

As junior Ally Kent had pitched against Byron on Thursday, Bram decided to bring in freshman Katelyn Bruscato for her first varsity appearance with the game on the line.

Sarah Field, St. Edward's winning pitcher, greeted Bruscato with a single to left field that moved Brockner to third. Megan Smith (2-for-3, 2B) then grounded to short but the throw home wasn't in time to get Brockner and the game was tied. Taylor Lundquist then beat out an infield dribbler, setting the stage for sophomore Kristina Kolodziejczyk to rip a 2-run double to left to make it 4-2. Lundquist plated an insurance run on Veronica Rolando's ground out.

"You hate to see anyone get hit like that and (Singleton) was pitching a great game and we were having trouble with her," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. "But that was a nice hit by Kolo. She's a sophomore in her first year on the varsity and for her to come up and get a clutch hit like that is a big confidence builder for her."

St. Edward (4-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff hitter Stephanie Werner reached on an infield error, stole second and scored on a two-out double down the left-field line from Brockner.

But Singleton, who struck out eight and walked one, settled down and allowed the Wave only 2 more hits prior to Brockner's shot that took her out of the game.

The Whips (0-2) grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth and snapped Field's 19 2/3 inning scoreless streak in doing so. Freshman Grace Jakubowski and senior Megan Roadcap led off with a singles up the middle, Hampshire's first hits of the game, and senior Jordan Moore laid down a sacrifice bunt. Jakubowski scored the Whips' first run on a Singleton ground out. Mary Bruscato then gave Hampshire the lead with a bloop single to right that scored Roadcap.

But Field, who struck out two and walked two, got the third out and escaped a jam in the fifth when Kent lifted a one-out double to left and went to third on a wild pitch before Field got Jakubowski and Roadcap to ground out to end the inning. The St. Edward sophomore then set down the final six Hampshire batters in a row.

"Sarah's real smart and she's a seasoned softball player," Rolando said. "She uses all her pitches and pitches like a veteran."