Kaneland softball team turns to sister act

There's been no shortage of sisters on the softball field this spring.

Batavia has the Colemans, senior Kelly and freshman Katie, who have both hit over .300 all year and take the top spots in the lineup.

St. Charles North wouldn't have been celebrating the Upstate Eight championship this week without the play from Taylor and Sydney Russell, both sophomores. Taylor, their third baseman, entered the week hitting .362 and leading the team in RBI and runs while Sydney, at second base, was hitting just under .300 in the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Then there's Kaneland, which has the youngest sister combination.

Freshman Delani Vest has burst on the scene, with a 16-5 record and ERA under 1.00. She's also a force at the plate with a .397 average.

Her sister Rilee, a sophomore, deserves a lot of credit for Delani's success because Rilee has been behind the plate for many of her starts, sharing time at catcher with Andrea Potts.

Vest's impact certainly has caught Kaneland assistant coach Ken Neahring by surprise.

"When I saw her (Delani) this winter, she was quick, a good shortstop and she does pitch," Neahring said. " Mallory (Huml) was all-conference last year and had a great record, I don't think we ever thought she would step in and be the No. 1. But she has been so consistent."

Neahring isn't the only one who has been surprised.

"I was just thinking I would be on varsity because I do have skill but I wasn't expecting this (pitching success) at first," Vest said. "But after I kept getting better and better I feel confident that I'm doing well in my spot."

Batavia coach Leon Pedraza certainly was impressed after watching Vest 2-hit his team Thursday.

"Good pitcher," Pedraza said. "She has good command. She gets ahead quickly on the batters and then she throws what she likes. After getting that first strike she likes to throw that changeup she likes to work the outside corner away from strength of our hitters."

Delani was quick to thank her sister for much of her success and the way Rilee knows the right pitches to throw.

"She is the person that motivates me the most," Vest said. "Telling me what to pitch, and she knows when to come talk to me."

The Vests moved to Elburn from Elgin when Rilee was in sixth grade and started playing travel softball under Waubonsee coach Perry Clark.

Originally, Delani caught and Rilee played shortstop.

But Delani's pitching has really taken off with her sister behind the plate.

"It's fun, we are really close and I like it," said Rilee, who in addition to her defense started the week third on the team with 21 RBI. "I've been catching her for a long time so it's easy to know what's on and what's off.

"Most likely it's her curve but we've been throwing junk, we've been throwing risers and drops and that's been really working for her because her drop is an off-speed pitch."

Away from the field, the sisters call themselves best friends.

"I know sisters that play softball together that don't get along," Delani Vest said. "On the field they will but off the field it's not that great. Me and my sister are close and that's good."

The Knights came up a game short of catching Glenbard South for the Western Sun title, losing 5-1 Friday to the Raiders. Now they'll take their shot at a Class 3A regional title as the No. 2 seed with a sparkling 24-8 record at the Burlington Central regional.

If they get there, it will take some hitting from sluggers like Sara Rose, Jess Lubic and Potts. And it will take the chemistry of the Vest battery.

"We're very tight, we're like best friends," Rilee Vest said. "It's been awesome, it's fun having your sister on the team."

jlemon@dailyherald.com