Shutout a team effort for Glenbard South
Danielle Chitkowski didn’t hesitate to give credit where credit was due.
Glenbard South’s senior ace shut out West Chicago 3-0 on Wednesday in Glen Ellyn but in a most un-softball like manner. She did so without a single strikeout. Every Raider was involved in a put-out in a well-played defensive game up until the end.
Chitkowski was more than happy to dole out the praise afterward.
“We give out stickers on our award board for shutouts,” Chitkowski said, “and the whole team’s getting one because that was definitely not a shutout by me. I’m very proud of their defense. Everyone gets a sticker.”
While the winning pitcher didn’t register a strikeout, the game’s biggest play came on a strikeout.
It was that kind of day.
With Hannah Davey and Chitkowski, who both singled, on second and third with two out in the bottom of the first, West Chicago’s Tarah Rayos struck out Olivia Ramirez swinging. On a wild pitch and high throw to first for the putout, though, Davey and Chitkowski both came home for a 2-0 lead.
“We were a little loose defensively in the first inning,” Wildcats coach Kim Wallner said, “and they jumped on the mistakes we made.”
Few teams pounce on opponents’ hiccups as well as the No. 9 Raiders (5-1), and they did it again in the fifth. Rachel Cohen singled leading off and with two out scored from second when Davey’s pop fly in short left was dropped.
“Our baserunning was there to help us today,” Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said. “That’s how I coach, and that will always be how I coach. This game can be a fast game if you want it to be or it can be a really slow game, a base-to-base game. But it should be played fast, and the girls know that’s how I want them to play.”
That offense was enough for Chitkowski and her defense.
West Chicago (5-3) put runners on base in every inning but the sixth but stranded 8 runners. In the third Jessica Wood singled with one out and was sacrificed to second, but on a Morgan Dastych single to left Wood was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay from Cohen to Chitkowski to Jane Trzaska.
Chitkowski walked two batters in the seventh with one out, but after a force-out Chitkowski got the last out on a line drive that ricocheted off Ramirez at third to shortstop Lisa Bartha, who fired to first to nip the runner.
Chitkowski, reliant on her off-speed pitches, didn’t care for her curveball Wednesday but effectively used her changeup on several occasions to get West Chicago hitters reaching.
“Not that it was called for a strike,” Fonda said, “but it kept them off balance big-time.”
West Chicago starting pitcher Tarah Rayos allowed 4 hits and 4 walks over five innings, striking out three. Wallner left the field knowing her team competed well against a good team.
“We didn’t execute as well as they did,” Wallner said, “but this is definitely not a loss that you blow way out of proportion. It was a good game and it had its moments. We’re a good team and we need to learn from this.”