Another game, another way for North Stars to win
When a softball team wins as much as St. Charles North has - now 27-9 and aiming for its first sectional title on Saturday - it usually has a pretty clear identity, a strength that strikes fear in opponents.
An ace pitcher that overpowers teams.
A lineup that bashes the ball all over the park.
An airtight defense that doesn't give up anything.
Speed up and down the lineup that puts constant pressure on its opponents.
What's that identity for St. Charles North? (Besides how fast this sophomore-dominated team is taking its place with the best programs in the state? So much for that experience factor.)
How about a little of each?
Just look at how the North Stars have reached the Class 4A Lake Park sectional championship game.
Dominating pitching?
There's the no-hitter against Geneva to start the regionals.
Power hitting?
Two home runs against Geneva.
Clutch defense?
That 3-2 victory in 9 innings against Lake Park in the regional finals.
Using speed to force the other teams into errors?
That happened all day in Wednesday's 9-4 sectional win against Glenbard West.
Three postseason games, three different ways to win. St. Charles North is showing it can win a defensive game one day, a slugfest the next.
So it's no surprise that when you ask four or five North Stars what is this team's strength, you get four or five different answers.
"We have a lot of strengths," leadoff hitter Lauren Cihlar said. "We have the small game, we have the power to hit it over the fences, we have the best defense. I can't just pinpoint one strength."
Ciran, who provides a couple of those problems for opponents with her pitching and bat, agreed.
"It's everything," Ciran said. "The pitching, we have awesome pitching, we have awesome defense and we have awesome bats. A couple times in the season it didn't show but now is when we are starting to progress and we're really building. It's really a team game and our team is doing really well."
Outfielder/catcher Annie Korth pointed to the team's attitude as yet another key.
"I also believe off the field we're happy, fun, kind of silly a little bit, but when we get on it we are serious and ready to do our work," Korth said.
All those weapons can make life difficult for opponents trying to figure out how to beat the North Stars, said second baseman Sydney Russell.
"It's more difficult for another team to beat us because we have our offense and we have our defense," Russell said.
There was one person connected with the program who had a definitive opinion. As much as coach April Stary loves that speed, as much as she smiles when the big bats knock one in the gap, they take a back seat.
"Defense is absolutely our strength," Stary said. "It has been my mantra since the day I walked onto the field and said this is what we are going to do. Defense wins championships, offense wins games."
That has got St. Charles North this far, to the brink of its first sectional championship. To get over the hump, which Glenbard North and Lake Park denied them in the 2005 and 2006 sectional finals, the North Stars will play either a Bartlett team they went 2-0 against in the Upstate Eight, or a Glenbard North team they beat in the nonconference in a game neither team used their top pitchers.
And we'll just have to wait and see which method the North Stars use to try to win that one. So far, each style is looking so good.
jlemon@dailyherald.com