Efflandt lights out again, Cary-Grove blanks Elgin
It matters little to Cary-Grove freshman Lindsay Efflandt how many batters she strikes out in a game. Doing her part and helping her team be successful are the things that matter to the mature youngster.
Efflandt may not have had her whiff pitch going on Wednesday, but she was tough as ever and the Trojans' defense was flawless and at times sparkling in a 6-0 win over Elgin in the semifinals of the Class 4A Huntley softball sectional.
"I just want to make my pitches," said Efflandt, now 27-3 for the season after hurling her third straight postseason shutout and lowering her ERA to 1.07.
"I don't pay attention to stats. I just want to do my job and I know my team will back me up."
The Trojans (31-6) will play for a sectional championship for the first time in head coach Tammy Olson's 17 years at the helm at 11 a.m. Saturday when they take on the winner of today's game between Jacobs and Hononegah. The only other time Cary-Grove has been in a sectional final was in 1992 under former coach Mike Buck, whose current Prairie Ridge team lost a 3-2 heartbreaker to Marengo Wednesday in the Class 3A PR sectional.
Cary-Grove pulled Cinderella's slipper off Elgin's foot in the bottom of the first inning Wednesday. Maroons' sophomore Hannah Perryman walked two and hit a batter and C-G freshman catcher Sarah Leudo delivered a 2-run single with two outs as the Trojans, who have won 16 straight and 21 of their last 22, jumped ahead 4-0.
"I was just looking for an RBI," said Leudo. "I just wanted to hit a line drive or a groundball and not pop it up."
The first-inning rally actually started when Eleni Polites led off with a walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Emma Gaulke's grounder when the home plate umpire ruled that Elgin catcher Jaclyn Navarro juggled the ball before tagging Polites. Abbe Wienckowski, who also walked, scored the second run on a passed ball, then Gaulke and Taylor Dunne, who was hit with a pitch, scored on Leudo's hit.
"We gave them a couple runs but they're a solid team. Give them the credit," said first-year Elgin coach Chad Dahlman, who acknowledged he'd like to be back next season even though he didn't get called back for his teaching job.
"There's been a couple of times we've given up the big first inning"
Cary-Grove extended the lead to 5-0 in the second when Colette Roth singled, Polites beat out an infield hit on which Elgin made a mental error allowing Roth to go to third, and then a sacrifice fly by Alexis Haley.
That was more than enough for Efflandt, who allowed just 3 hits, walked one and struck out four - all of them in succession during the sixth and seventh innings. And the defense was errorless, coming up with not only the routine plays but diving catches by Polites in right field and Roth at third base to help the cause.
"When we were patient at the plate we did well and things happened," said Olson. "We had to be disciplined up there."
And Olson had complete confidence in her defense, regardless of the number of strikeouts Efflandt had.
"The defense is very good and it's not the first time Lindsay has had a low number of strikeouts," Olson said. "She pitches where she wants them to hit it.
To Perryman's credit, she settled down after the first inning and allowed Cary-Grove just 6 hits in the game. The Trojans scored their final run in the sixth when Wienckowski tripled home Roth, who had walked.
"My pitcher and my catcher are back so we have something to look forward to," Dahlman said. "The sky's the limit for (Perryman). When she hits her spots she's great."
A bright spot for the Maroons (12-26) offensively was four-year starter Kelly Patchett, who had 2 of Elgin's 3 hits including a solid double in the seventh. Senior Samantha Doty also added a double.
"I was happy," said Patchett, who left immediately after the game to register at Iowa State University. "Being the DH, that's what I was there to do so it was good that I was able to pull my weight.
"I always had a good time playing for coach (Peg) Corcoran so I was a little worried coming into this year. But coach Dahlman is a great guy and he did a great job."