South Elgin, St. Edward split DH
Saturday's nonconference softball doubleheader between South Elgin and St. Edward served a purpose for both teams - a chance to face good competition against a neighboring school, and a chance to give some reserve players some valuable experience.
And each team came away with a win, giving their respective coaches reason to be upbeat after the 4 hour, 20 minute marathon had concluded at South Elgin.
Sophomore Sam Bolin tossed a 5-hitter to lead South Elgin to a 3-1 win in Game 1, then St. Edward came back with an 11-hit attack in Game 2 to win 14-7.
"We've got some kids who haven't gotten a lot of reps and they got to play a full four innings today," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. "Our subs who came in did a real nice job. Morgan Garland played well at first and Sally Slack did a nice job at second."
Bolin (7-6) continued her game-by-game improvement in the opener. St. Edward's only run, which scored on Sarah Field's RBI single to plate Kristi Knott in the third inning, was unearned. And even though the Storm committed 5 errors behind her, Bolin got tough when it mattered and left 10 Green Wave runner stranded on the basepaths.
"Sam's doing an outstanding job pitching the last few weeks," said South Elgin coach Jason Schaal, whose team is now 9-12 after starting the season 1-9. "Her pitch count has dropped dramatically and she's focusing on getting ahead in the count."
The Storm took a 1-0 lead on Kara Rodriguez's RBI single that scored courtesy runner Desiree Aranda in the second inning. St. Edward then tied the game in the top of the third and it stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth.
Katelyn Stonecipher (3-for-4) led off with a single and scampered to third in Caitie Stredde's sacrifice bunt before scoring on Courtney Bosteder's single to left.
South Elgin catcher Sara Irving led the bottom of the sixth off with a single, courtesy runner Danielle Susman was sacrificed to second by Bolin and took third on Shannon Conway's groundout before scoring on Rodriguez's two-out double to center, which came a pitch after Field had Rodriguez fishing for a changeup.
"I was very proud of the way we played," said Schaal. "I was questioning our energy early but we were able to get some runs and pull it out."
Field (12-8) suffered the loss for the Green Wave. She allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs.
"I'm proud of the way we played the first game. We just didn't get the timely hit. But we played solid defense; better than a week ago," said Rolando, whose team made just 3 errors in the 2 games Saturday after making 20 in 3 games at the Larkin Slugfest last weekend.
Game 2 was pretty much all St. Edward, although the Storm twice came back to avoid the slaughter rule and extend the 2 hour and 10 minute game to a full seven innings.
The Green Wave (15-12) already led 6-0 when they hit the Storm with 7 runs in the top of the fourth to move ahead 13-1. St. Edward led by 10 runs going into both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings but South Elgin scored once in the fifth and three times in the sixth to avoid the slaughter rule.
"We never quit and never gave up and that showed some character and that they care about their team," said Schaal of his club."
Kristina Brockner was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI to lead the St. Edward offense while Knott (2B, RBI), winning pitcher Bre Medinger (2-for-3), Tarah McShane (RBI), Veronica Rolando (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Kali Kossakowski (RBI) and Field (RBI) also contributed. Medinger earned the win in the circle for the Wave.
"I was real proud of the way we hit in the second game," said coach Rolando.
Rae Bosteder had 3 hits for South Elgin, while Alyssa Krause had 2 hits and an RBI and Sarah Rhoads added a double. Susman was also 2-for-2 with an RBI. Zenia Cerda (1-6) suffered the loss in the circle.