Geneva blanks Batavia

Whenever Batavia and Geneva square off, it usually brings out the best in both teams.

Except sometimes wanting to beat your rival so much can create just a little too much adrenaline, which Batavia coach Ashley Szymski said happened to her team Wednesday in a showdown between two teams both enjoying outstanding seasons.

Geneva starter Kelly McCaffrey carefully navigated her way through a powerful Batavia lineup that entered the game with 24 home runs. She got plenty of help from her error-free defense including two putouts at home plate in the Vikings' 3-0 victory.

While McCaffrey notched her fifth shutout, it was the first time in 18 games the Bulldogs (13-5, 7-5) have been blanked. They had 8 hits, all singles, and stranded 8 runners on base.

“As a team it was one of our best games,” McCaffrey said. “They put the ball in play a lot. We didn't let little things affect us. We knew they were capable of doing a lot with the ball. I had to make sure every pitch was good.”

While Geneva (15-6, 9-3) didn't make an error, Batavia had 5, a very uncharacteristic number that Szymski attributed in part to the opponent.

“We've been most of the time defensively clean,” Szymski said. “It's Geneva, you get a little amped, they get a little wound up and you start to force things because you want it so bad.”

Both teams squandered chances in the first two innings. McCaffrey got a called third strike to leave runners at first and second in the second inning, then Batavia starter Katie Neubauer did the same to end the bottom half with Geneva runners at first and second.

The fireworks started in the third. In the top half, Batavia's Katie Ryan hammered not one but two foul balls that would have been home runs if not for pulling them a little too far. Ryan cranked another one in her fourth at-bat on an even longer foul ball that would have reached the backstop on the Geneva baseball field if not for the ball hitting high up in a tree.

“Those were very long foul balls,” smiled McCaffrey. “I was pitching her inside a little and she was pulling them.”

McCaffrey held Batavia's top power hitter to 1-for-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts. The one hit, a single, came in the third and Ryan eventually reached third before being thrown out at the plate trying to score when Dori Rogers' throw from left field went over catcher Claire Stribling's head, but Geneva recovered in time to get Ryan.

Rogers then ignited Geneva's offense in the third with a leadoff triple. She scored when Neubauer couldn't cleanly handle and throw to home on Bridget Weitzel's ball, and Weitzel later came in on Melissa Barber's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

“I had struck out my at-bat before and that was frustrating,” said Rogers, who also made a fine catch in left field. “I just went up there thinking to be aggressive and it worked out well.”

Geneva added a third run in the fifth again taking advantage of a Batavia error. McCaffrey drove in Elena Wright with a bloop single to left.

“A lot of times, especially when you get two good teams going, it comes down to mistakes and extra-base hits,” Geneva coach Greg Dierks said. “We kept them off the extra-base hits today.”

Batavia didn't go quietly in the sixth or seventh. Singles by Neubauer and Brooke Nelson brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth but McCaffrey got a ground ball to Wright at shortstop.

In the seventh the Bulldogs also brought the tying run to the plate when Ryan drew a two-out walk. Meghan Fabian singled which would have loaded the bases, but Erin Costigan was thrown out trying to score on Weitzel's strike from center field.

“I was was waving her home,” Szymski said. “I was being aggressive and I should have been more passive. I take the fall on that one. She is one of our faster runners. I got excited.”

Weitzel also was the only Viking with 2 hits while Fabian held that distinction for Batavia. McCaffrey struck out four and walked two while improving to 14-6.

“You go in figuring you have to score 4 or 5 knowing how many good bats they have,” Dierks said. “That was very impressive. Kelly pitched a great game. We held them to singles when they got their hits.”

Wednesday's win continued a great week for the Vikings that included Tuesday's victory over Elgin. Dierks called this the team's best three-game stretch this year.

“We knew the competition would be tough this week and getting a win feels really good and speaks a lot about how prepared we were to play defense,” Rogers said.