Connolly's clutch as 'Cats prevail
Mary Connolly's final fastball that whistled past Jenny Nelson was the exclamation point on her seven-inning statement: here's my bread and butter - try to hit it.
Connolly struck out 11 in 1-hitting Glenbard North, as West Chicago avenged a loss nine days earlier with a 1-0 win on Monday.
"I've grown up just throwing straight fastballs and changeups," Connolly said, "and that's what I tried to get back to today. It was definitely different from last game. Last game I was trying to throw different pitches, move the ball around. Today I was going to go with what I've always thrown."
Glenbard North, who beat West Chicago 5-0 in the first meeting in Carol Stream, saw its 13-game winning streak snapped. The Panthers (20-6, 9-2 DuPage Valley Conference) still lead West Chicago (24-5, 9-3) by a game in the loss column.
"That was a wakeup call," Glenbard North coach Josh Sanew said. "We have to remember what got us here, and that is putting the ball in play and catching the ball. We didn't do a very good job of either one of those today."
West Chicago has games left with Wheaton Warrenville South on Wednesday and Wheaton North Thursday in its bid to repeat as DVC champs. Glenbard North will resume a game with West Aurora tied at 0-0 in extra innings on Wednesday, then play the Blackhawks in a full game before ending the conference slate with Naperville North Friday.
"It's not over," West Chicago coach Emily Johnson said. "The 'Cats are still alive."
Connolly (19-3), plagued by errors and walks in the teams' first game, was in control on Monday. Relying almost exclusively on a mitt-popping fastball and devastating put-away changeup, she retired the first 13 batters she faced before Laura Scott's bloop single with one out in the fifth. It was Glenbard North's only baserunner. Connolly struck out 4 of the last 5 batters she faced, Nelson swinging at high heat to end the game.
"She made it pretty clear at the beginning of the game what she wanted to throw and what she didn't want to throw," Johnson said. "She's more comfortable when she gets ahead in the count, and so we worked on just really fastballs and changeups."
In a reversal of fortunes from nine days prior, it was West Chicago taking advantage of Glenbard North errors early. In the second inning West Chicago's Taylor Kutilek reached on an infield single and a wild throw on Alyson Taddeucci's bunt put runners at the corners with none out. Kutilek was cut down at home on a fielder's choice, but Taddeucci scored when a Jamie Dash hit deflected off a Glenbard North infielder's glove into left field.
"What we did this game," Johnson said, "and didn't do last game was put the ball in play."
Hannah Santora (16-4) held West Chicago to just 2 base runners the rest of the way, striking out five.
Wheaton North 2, WW South 1: Bethany Holaway singled in Paige Evangelista with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth for the Falcons (20-8, 8-4 DVC). Kahla Nolan (15-6) struck out 11.
Naperville Central 3, Glenbard East 1: Natalie Wunderlich (15-5) took a no-hitter into the sixth and struck out 11 for the Redhawks (22-6, 8-4 DVC). Naperville Central scored twice in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Maggie Buoy and Kate Cannova. Megan Shannon's triple with two outs in the sixth broke up Wunderlich's no-hitter.
West Aurora 3, Naperville North 2: Devin Vaughn's double scored pinch runner Madison Whitt in the top of the ninth for the Blackhawks (16-13, 5-6 DVC).
Neuqua Valley 7, Lake Park 5: Colleen Hohman cracked two 3-run homers and struck out seven for Neuqua Valley (17-7, 13-5 Upstate Eight Conference). Jenna Marsalli, Leigh Nebendahl and Summer McKenzie all added 2 hits.
South Elgin 9, Waubonsie Valley 7: The Storm scored 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth to edge the Warriors (10-18, 6-10 UEC). Ally Seplak went 3-for-5 for Waubonsie Valley.
Montini 4, Marian Central 1: Lara Mangialardi (16-5) struck out eight in firing a 1-hitter for Montini (17-6, 10-2 Suburban Catholic Conference).
St. Francis 14, Immaculate Conception 0: Taylor Ronchetto (19-2) struck out 10 and Laura Behnke went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored for the Spartans (22-4, 12-0 Suburban Catholic).
Oak Park-River Forest 6, Glenbard West 5: The Hilltoppers (15-14, 7-3 West Suburban Silver Conference) scored 3 runs in the sixth and 2 more in the seventh, but the rally fell short in Glen Ellyn. Jayme Hefler went 3-for-4 with a double.
Downers Grove South 17-10, Proviso East 0-0: Michelle Lisy (9-2) tossed a five-inning perfect game, striking out 11, for the Mustangs (20-6, 10-0 West Suburban Gold Conference) in Game 2. In the first game Marissa Mersch went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and scored 3 runs.