Libertyville's power surge sinks Mundelein

The softball that Nicole Kruckman pulled down the right-field line kept soaring and eventually cleared the fence above the 200-foot sign, before crashing into Libertyville's scoreboard.

And the noise didn't stop for the host Wildcats.

For the first time that Libertyville coach Mary Tiegs can remember, her team hit three over-the-fence home runs in one game - all 3-run shots - as the Wildcats walloped visiting Mundelein 12-1 in a North Suburban Lake Division game that lasted five innings Tuesday.

"It was nice," Tiegs said of her players' unprecedented display of power. "They all are capable of doing it. They've done it in practice. It was just a matter of time. It's a new month."

Libertyville (7-16, 1-8) nearly had a fourth homer, too, as Athena Cocallas followed Kruckman's first-inning homer with a double off the left-field fence.

"So close," Cocallas said with a smile.

In the fourth, with Libertyville leading 9-1, the fence couldn't hold Cocallas' long flyball this time. She stepped to the plate with Kruckman (3-for-3) on first and Toni Kintzel (1-for-2, RBI single) on second.

Cocallas then belted the first pitch she saw from Mundelein starter Hillary Bunnelle over fence in center field.

"I was ready to go hit," said Cocallas, whose homer was her second of the season but first over a fence. "I knew I was going to hit that pitch before she let go of the ball. I walked up to bat knowing that I was going to hit that first pitch. That was going to be my pitch."

Mandy Vogg launched her 3-run homer in third, and the Wildcats finished with 10 hits, with Brittany Schick, Olivia Wilcox and Nicole Smith also joining the hit parade.

"Our offense did really well," said Wildcats pitcher Calley Kaluzny, who was the beneficiary. "We executed."

So, too, did Kaluzny. The sophomore righty allowed 5 hits, walked a pair and struck out seven.

"Curves were really working, even though the umpire's strike zone was really tight, and it kept getting tighter," Kaluzny said. "(Mundelein) couldn't get at my curve."

Mundelein (6-15, 2-7) scored its run in the second, which started with back-to-back singles from Bunnelle and Alex Hemmer and included a sacrifice bunt by Hayle Morelli. Deanna Wise led off the fifth with a double.

The Mustangs' inconsistent play has coach Ted Juske Jr searching for answers.

"We lose to Antioch 5-4 (last Friday) - they're top five in the state in (Class) 3A - and then we come out here and lay a big old egg to Libertyville," Juske said. "It's been an up-and-down season. It's been a battle all year and a struggle. Some girls are getting it and some aren't."

One girl who seems to be adjusting to varsity softball is freshman Chloe Peterson. The recent call-up singled and walked in her only two plate appearances.

"She's been playing well," Juske said. "She's been hitting the softball and getting on base."