Bartlett getting itself into postseason mode
Make no mistake about it, the Barlett softball team is clearly in postseason mode.
With the state tournament beginning next week, the Hawks are hoping to fine tune their game this week, wrap up second place in the Upstate Eight Conference, face two of the top teams in the state Saturday at the Stone City Jamboree, then embark on a postseason journey they hope takes them as far or farther than last year's improbable run to the Elite Eight supersectional round.
And if Monday's solid performance in all areas of the game is an indication of things to come, Bartlett's opponents in the Class 4A St. Charles North sectional field might want to forget about the Hawks being curiously seeded sixth in what could be the state's toughest sectional.
Bartlett spotted St. Charles East a 1-0 lead then scored all three of its runs in an opportunistic fourth inning and beat the Saints 3-1 in an Upstate Eight Conference game at Bartlett.
The Hawks (21-8, 14-3) finish the conference season with games against Elgin, Streamwood and Waubonsie Valley the next three days. Although they trail league-leading St. Charles North by 2 games, they are tied with Lake Park (13-3 UEC) in the loss column for second place. Lake Park still has a Thursday game with SCN on its schedule. After completing the UEC schedule and taking Friday off, Bartlett travels to Minooka Saturday morning to face Normal West and Sandburg, the top two ranked Class 4A teams in the state (ICA poll), at Stone City. The Hawks open the postseason May 25 against red-hot Wheaton Warrenville South in a 6:30 p.m. West Chicago regional game.
"Everything at this point is postseason mode," said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith after Monday's win. "After (St. Charles North) beat us the second time it's all been postseason mode and it culminates at Stone City with Sandburg and Normal West. It will be an exciting way to end the regular season."
The Saints (16-14, 10-7) scratched out a run in the first inning, snapping Bartlett senior Callie Dennison's streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run at 26. Dennison walked Bethany Carrignan with one out, Carrignan stole second and then came home on Jenny Niemiec's single up the middle, with the play at the plate allowing Niemiec to go to second. RaeAnn Payleitner then drew a walk and the runners advanced to second and third on Steph Roan's deep fly out but Dennison got Julie Sobeski to fly out to right to end the inning.
"Callie pitched out of trouble in the first inning and then found her stride," said Wolfsmith of Dennison (17-5), who has now allowed just 1 earned run in her last 40 innings. "To hold that offense down like that is pretty impressive."
Bartlett got the runs it needed in the bottom of the fourth off the Saints' Katie Stengler (10-8), who allowed just 4 hits on the day. Megan Morales opened the inning with a single to right field and Nicole Beck slapped a running single to the right side. After a sacrifice bunt by Lisa Matsie, Lauren Chuchvara grounded to first and Morales beat the throw home to tie the game. The throw to the plate got past St. Charles East's catcher, allowing Beck to scoot home and make it 2-1. The Hawks scored their third run when Chuchvara and Kelsey Warrick executed a perfect first-and-third rundown after Warrick singled.
"I don't think it could have worked much better than that," said Chuchvara. "Kelsey did exactly what she was supposed to do and I was able to score. It's all about putting pressure on the defense."
Dennison was lights out after the first inning, allowing only a third-inning single to Mary Kate Brooks. Dennison struck out seven, didn't walk anyone after the first inning and retired the Saints' final 14 batters in order.
"She's a great pitcher but we had some poor at-bats today," said Saints coach Kelly Horan. "Our bats weren't really as good as they have been. We make a couple mental errors and it's a whole new ballgame."