Lake Zurich belts out 19 hits in win over Grant

Lucky duck that Kaitlin Beaver, who sat happily cradling a toy duck.

Making a pinch-hit appearance in Lake Zurich's 14-0 win over Grant in a North Suburban Conference crossover softball game that lasted five innings in Fox Lake on Friday, Beaver belted an RBI double.

"She pulled her hamstring really bad the first week of the season, so it was her first game back," Bears coach Michaela Towne said of the veteran senior.

Beaver's prize? A plastic duck, which wasn't hers to keep.

After Lake Zurich's 19-hit performance, which included 9 hits for extra bases, Towne named Beaver the Bears' "Duck of the Game" and tossed her the coveted toy while the team sat on the outfield grass.

During an out-of-town team-building sleepover over Spring Break, the duck idea was hatched, so to speak.

"We were thinking of slogans just to put on shirts," pitcher Megan Mattera said. "Our slogan was, 'We hit hard, so duck.' It was just a fun theme for the team."

When a Bears player found the toy duck, the team had its "trophy," which is given out after games, assuming someone earns the recognition.

Lake Zurich had plenty of candidates after it improved to 14-8 with its fourth straight win, while dropping Grant to 13-10.

"We've been on our game and have been improving," Mattera said. "We had things to work on at the beginning (of the season) and we dealt with them."

Erin Sweeney led the offense by going 3-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI. The Bears received 2 hits apiece from Amanda Orchard, Kelly Neisis, Alli McGinnis, Mattera, Paige Goldberg and Ella Aslan.

Mattera had a pair of RBI doubles, while Aslan also had 2 doubles. Goldberg and Aslan smacked back-to-back RBI doubles in a 4-run third. Kelli Blume pinch-hit a 2-run single in a 5-run fifth.

McGinnis got the scoring going with a first-inning RBI triple off Grant starter Megan DePouw and later doubled.

"They hit the heck out of the ball the whole game," Grant coach Mike Dolezal said. "There's nothing you can do. They deserved it and we didn't."

Mattera dominated in the circle, pitching a 1-hitter, while striking out nine and walking a pair. The only hit she allowed was a one-out double in the third to the Bulldogs' Chriso Wilson.

"She pitched the ball real well," Dolezal said of Mattera. "We just didn't hit, and didn't play very well."

A toy duck isn't the only thing Towne uses to motivate her players.

She keeps with her a binder filled with laminated papers that feature dozens of smiley-face stickers, which the team earns for accomplishing goals.

"You can tell I'm a teacher," Towne said.

"Kids like stickers. They get excited."