Connolly’s heroics make Senior Night memorable
Mary Connolly made her Senior Night at West Chicago quite the memorable one.
The Wildcats’ DePaul-bound pitcher no-hit Naperville Central, and scored the winning run on a passed ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for a key 1-0 DuPage Valley Conference victory Monday.
“It’s been a great four years here,” Connolly said, “and what a way to go out? You can’t ask for much more.”
West Chicago (16-9, 9-2 DVC) moved a game ahead of Naperville Central (20-8, 10-3) in the loss column. The Wildcats host West Aurora today in the resumption of a suspended 0-0 game in the fifth inning, then play at Naperville North on Wednesday and Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday. The Redhawks wrap up DVC play Wednesday at home against Glenbard North.
Connolly, down 0-2 in the count, worked a walk to lead off the Wildcats ninth. One out later, Rachael Venchus doubled to right-center between two Redhawks outfielders, putting runners at second and third.
A squeeze bunt attempt was popped up for the second out, but the first pitch to Jenny Goldsmith trickled out of the catcher’s glove and Connolly scampered home without a play at the plate.
Three innings earlier, Connolly had been thrown out at the plate on a Jen Konchar double, a perfect relay coming from left field to Kelsey Gonzalez on the throw to home.
Connolly’s aggressiveness paid off the second time.
“Any inch of opportunity we were going to take,” Connolly said, “especially in the ninth inning. Nobody wants to keep playing; you just want to win. It was just fortunate for us the ball got away.”
Connolly (14-6) lost to Naperville Central’s Alyssa Wunderlich 1-0 in the teams’ first meeting in Naperville. Perhaps DuPage County’s two best pitchers again put on quite a dual.
Naperville Central scored its only run in the first game in the first inning, and had perhaps its best chance to score in the first Monday.
Juliet Tassi reached second base on a one-out throwing error, but was thrown out trying to take third on a pitch in the dirt. The Redhawks had just three baserunners the rest of the way, and none reach second until the ninth.
“Kind of the book on Connolly is you better score in the first,” Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. “If you don’t, it could be a long day.”
Connolly struck out just five, but also recorded seven put-outs on the mound as Naperville Central rarely made solid contact.
“She really mixed it up well; I was glad to see her use her changeup a little more today,” West Chicago coach Kim Wallner said. “I think it got them off-balance, and made them think a little more about the potential of it coming. She moved it around enough where they didn’t hit the ball real hard today.”
Wunderlich (12-5) struck out 10, working out of a two-on, none-out jam in the fourth and stranding runners at second in the fifth and seventh. Naperville Central was seeking to clinch at least a share of its first DVC title since 1989.
“It was a classic matchup between two outstanding pitchers,” Nussbaum said. “Now we need help, and we got to win Wednesday which isn’t an easy one, either.”