Bolin, South Elgin hand Batavia 1st loss
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if you’re going to win conference championships and go far in the postseason, you have to be able to perform under pressure.
Score one in the “yes, we did that” column for South Elgin’s softball team and junior pitcher Sam Bolin.
With the tying run at second, the go-ahead run at first and one out, Bolin faced Batavia’s powerful 5-6 hitters, Brooke Nelson and Emily Dorjath, Tuesday while she and the Storm protected a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Bolin induced Nelson into a comebacker to the circle for the second out, moving the runners to second and third, and then got Dorjath to loft a lazy flyball to center field that senior Katelyn Stonecipher squeezed with two hands to give South Elgin an important Upstate Eight Conference win and hand Batavia its first loss of the season.
“Don’t let them score,” said Bolin of her mindset heading to the circle for the seventh. “I was extra motivated because they’re all really good hitters.”
The win gives South Elgin (9-3) a 4-0 mark in UEC play, where all games count to the standings and divisional champs will be named. Batavia falls to 8-1, 4-1.
“I’m very proud of the way everyone on our team was a part of this win today,” said South Elgin coach Jason Schaal. “We had a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. Every girl on team knew how important this win was for us today.”
The Storm jumped ahead in the first inning as Alexandra Hansen, who had walked, eventually came home on an outfield error. South Elgin then made it 4-0 in the third when it put together 4 straight hits. Stonecipher walked and scored on a throwing error, Bolin singled and scored on Sara Irving’s RBI double and Irving scored on a single from freshman Brittany Koss.
Batavia battle back with a run in the fourth. Nelson singled with one out, Dorjath doubled and Nelson scored on a groundout by losing pitcher Katie Coleman. The Bulldogs then tied the game in the top of the fifth. Erin Costigan singled and came home ahead of Katie Ryan, who launched a line drive home run over the fence in left. Katie Neubauer singled with one out and scored when Nelson sliced a one-out double to right.
In the top of the seventh, two South Elgin errors and a fielder’s choice grounder from Christine Lynam set Batavia up for some heroics, but Bolin, who allowed 8 hits with 4 strikeouts and only 1 walk, buckled down and got the final two outs.
“We’re still undefeated in conference and we’re coming together more and more as a team,” said Bolin, now 6-2 on the season. “Our mentality is that ‘I want to win’ and we’re all giving 110 percent all the time.”
Irving and Shannon Conway each had 2 hits for the Storm, who play at St. Charles North today.
“This is a big confidence booster for our team,” said Schaal. “Sam did a nice job of mixing things up today. Batavia’s an excellent hitting team and we knew we’d have to pitch well and play defense well today. Now we’ve got another tough one with St. Charles North.”
Nelson and Dorjath each had 2 hits for the Bulldogs. Coleman allowed 9 hits, struck out five and walked three. The Bulldogs committed 3 errors.
“We’ve been playing good defense,” said Batavia coach Ashley Szymski. “I don’t know if the sun got in our eyes or what. It happens. We’ve had a couple games where we had to battle back and we’re not ones to give up. We’re always fighting. But there’s good teams all over and I keep saying that on any given day any team can beat any team. Today just wasn’t our day.”