Johnson's stellar effort lifts Larkin over Elgin 6-3
The first time the Elgin and Larkin softball teams played this season, back on April 13, Elgin sophomore Hannah Perryman shut the Royals down and Elgin won 7-0.
On Thursday afternoon at blustery Maroon Field, Larkin brought its bats.
The Royals rapped out 11 hits off Elgin senior Kelly Patchett and then Perryman in relief and came away with a 6-3 win in a well-played Upstate Eight Conference game.
The two could meet again later this month with a regional championship on the line. Elgin is the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Streamwood regional and Larkin No. 2.
But that's later this month. On Thursday, for the Royals anyway, it was all about evening up the city series and extending this week's modest winning streak to three.
"That's the first time we've won three in a row in a long time and it's nice to send them into prom weekend with a winning streak," said Larkin coach Larry Hight.
The Royals (9-16, 6-7) got a stellar effort in the circle from junior Megan Johnson, and it was her two-out, 2-run double off Perryman in the fourth inning that broke the game open.
"I was excited," said Johnson of her big hit. "I knew we needed those runs."
As big as her double was Johnson's effort in the circle. After giving up 3 runs on 7 hits in the first three innings, she buckled down and didn't allow the Maroons (10-19, 4-10) another hit the rest of the way.
"We just stayed upbeat the whole game," said Johnson, who struck out three and walked two in running her record to 3-4 for the season. "The girls were playing solid defense and that kept me confident."
Larkin jumped ahead 1-0 in the first when Corinne Wimmer, who reached on an infield error, scored the first of her 3 runs on an Alex Buhrow RBI single after a Lexi Smithberg sacrifice. Elgin tied it in the bottom of the second when Samantha Doty, who had walked, scored on a throwing error off Evelyn Boje's bunt single.
The Royals regained the lead with 2 runs in the third. Wimmer (3-for-5) beat out an infield single and stole second then scored when Elgin booted Buhrow's grounder. Courtesy runner Danielle Bauer then scored on a single from Anna Esterino (2-for-4).
The Maroons came back and made it a 3-3 game in the bottom of the inning. Senior Brandi Hernandez singled, stole second and third and scored on an infield single from Rachel Roth (2-for-4). Roth then scored on Jenna Jaynes' RBI single.
But from that point, the Maroons only got three more baserunners, one on a walk and two on errors. None advanced past second base.
"Megan hasn't pitched in a while because she's been on an educational retreat," said Hight of Johnson, who is playing with a torn labrum. "It seems like when she gets some rest she's stronger."
After Maggie Hofmann, who threw out a runner at the plate from center field, opened the top of the fourth with a single off Patchett, Elgin coach Chad Dahlman went to Perryman. Wimmer beat out another infield hit and Smithberg reached on a fielder's choice. Johnson then delivered her big double to the gap in right-center to drive in both runs.
Larkin added an insurance run in the sixth when Hofmann drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored when Perryman walked Johnson with the bases loaded.
"It was nice to get some hits and runs off Perryman after she shut us out last time," said Hight. "We needed that confidence in case we see them again. This was our best game yet in terms of our team picking each other up. We got some timely hits, we got some bunts down and we played good defense."
Dahlman gave all the credit to Johnson and the Royals.
"We just didn't hit after the first three innings," he said. "They outplayed us. They hit and they made the plays and Megan did a nice job of keeping us off balance. That double of hers took the momentum away from us and gave it to them."