St. Edward handles Marian Central

St. Edward's offense continued to be a work in progress Wednesday - and the Green Wave made some strides.

"We've got a lot of hitters," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. "Only a few of them have been doing the work in some games but every day somebody new is waking up."

The Wave got production from up and down the lineup Wednesday and came away with an 8-4 Suburban Christian Gold softball win over Marian Central at the Elgin Sports Complex, a game in which each team made 5 errors.

Senior Kristi Knott had 2 hits and 2 RBI for St. Edward (6-3, 3-0), Veronica Rolando and Maddie Kerr each had RBI singles and BreAunna Medinger and winning pitcher Sarah Field each doubled.

"I asked for disciplined hitting today and for them to lay off the junk and they did that," coach Rolando said. "When you put the ball in play good things happen."

The Wave jumped ahead with a run in the second inning as Medinger, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on a throwing error off a double steal play with courtesy runner Ana Peterson.

St. Edward then added 5 runs in the third, using 3 walks from Marian Central starter Kat Landers, as well as RBI singles from Kerr, Knott and Rolando. The Wave then made it a 7-0 game in the fourth when Tarah McShane walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch, and then 8-0 in the fifth when Field led off with a double and Peterson scored on Knott's single.

To that point, Field had cruised through the Marian Central lineup, allowing only a triple and a single from former St. Edward teammate Lea Diaz and a single from Jenny Behles.

But then St. Edward's defense faltered and allowed Marian to score 4 unearned runs in the final two innings. The Hurricanes had another runner at third when Field induced a soft liner to Kerr at first to end the game.

"We had some defensive lapses and opened the door for them a little," Rolando said. "But we showed some character and closed the door when we had to."

Field (6-1), a junior, finished allowing 6 hits. She struck out seven and walked only one.

"Sarah was hitting the edges early and she's getting better and better at that," Rolando said. "She continues to improve more and more every day."