South Elgin downs Neuqua Valley
It took until the 27th game of the season, but South Elgin softball coach Jason Schaal was finally able to put what he believes to be his best team on the field Monday.
And the results were proof in the pudding.
Junior Sam Bolin tied the school record for wins in a season with a masterful 4-hitter and junior Sara Irving delivered the game-winning hit with a two-out, 2-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Storm knocked off Neuqua Valley 2-0 in an Upstate Eight Conference game at South Elgin.
The loss drops Neuqua (11-5, 7-4) into a second-place tie with Bartlett in the loss column in the UEC Valley Division race. Lake Park remains atop the division at 10-3 after beating Metea Valley Monday. South Elgin (16-11, 8-6) is also still alive in the title chase.
“This is the first time I’ve been able to put that lineup on the field,” said Schaal. “We’ve had nagging injuries but we’re at the point of the season now where we need to put it all together.”
The Storm did just that on Monday, spoiling a stellar effort in the circle from Neuqua Valley senior Jena Boudreau (8-5), who gave up only 2 hits but surrendered 6 walks.
South Elgin also played an errorless game on defense, with senior center fielder Katelyn Stonecipher turning in her usual strong game, which included starting a rally-killing double play with a diving catch in the fifth inning. The Storm also got a strong performance from sophomore shortstop Victoria Watt, who made several tough plays and had 5 assists and a putout.
“With Sam pitching like that, Stoney diving for everything in center and Watt looking like Derek Jeter out there, and with Sara Irving coming up with that big hit when we needed it ... that was a big hit for her and her confidence as she gets back from injury,” Schaal said.
Irving, who has been out the better part of a month with a pulled quad, made Boudreau pay for two of her walks. Shannon Conway drew a free pass to lead off the bottom of the fourth and went to second on a wild pitch and then third on Alyssa Buddle’s groundout. Bolin then drew a walk and courtesy runner Natalie Tortorici took second without a play. Irving then laced a 2-0 pitch to the gap in right-center to plate the game’s only runs.
“I was really confident, I just needed to do it for my teammates,” Irving said. “We had third and second occupied and I knew I had to go opposite field and the pitch was outside.”
The Wildcats had their chances against Bolin, but she was able to pitch out of every jam. She walked 2 batters in the first inning but got out of trouble with a groundout to Watt and a running catch in the right-center field gap by Stonecipher on a drive off the bat of Brooke Meyer.
Neuqua also had runners at first and second with one out in the third but Bolin (13-8) got a strikeout and a pop up back to the circle to end that threat. Meyer led off the fourth with a single and was sacrificed to second but a pop up and a strikeout ended that inning. The Wildcats didn’t get another runner past first the rest of the way as Bolin struck out four in lowering her ERA to 2.47 for the season. In tying Rebecca French’s school record for wins in a season, she also threw her third straight shutout and fifth of the season.
“We didn’t have any errors,” Bolin said. “Watt made some amazing plays at shortstop and with Stoney out there in center you know just about everything is going to get caught. I didn’t approach things any differently than any other game — just throw hard and win.”
Boudreau struck out seven in suffering the tough-luck loss. The only other hit she allowed was a line drive single to sophomore Kara Rodrigiuez in the fifth.
“Jena did a really nice job,” said Wildcats coach Melissa Wilson. “I just told the girls if you don’t hit you’re not going to win. If you don’t execute you don’t win. We watched a few strikes and their shortstop and center fielder made some really good plays. (Bolin) was consistent, their defense did a nice job and they got the hit they needed.”