Hohman, Waubonsie quiet Batavia
It took Waubonsie Valley the entire season last year to reach double-digit wins. Following a 5-0 victory over Batavia Wednesday in Aurora, the Warriors are just one win away from matching that total.
Waubonsie Valley (9-2, 4-0 in the Upstate Eight) won its seventh straight game, breaking open a 0-0 deadlock with 3 runs in the fifth and adding 2 more runs in the sixth.
That was more than enough for freshman standout Shannon Hohman who improved to 7-1 striking out 11 and allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks.
“This is a lot different than last year and I’m just so happy playing with these girls,” shortstop Amanda Minahan said. “We have done real well together and we’re just going to try to keep on winning and show Waubonsie is here.”
Coming off a 10-19 season Waubonsie Valley has lost to just Naperville Central and Plainfield East. Having a freshman like Hohman obviously is a key to the turnaround but coach Aly Kelley also was quick to credit her team’s chemistry.
“We only lost three (players), we have a lot of the same kids as last year,” Kelley said. “Everyone has jelled and molded together nicely. The good thing is when one of my kids is having an off-day and the other is doing awesome they all pick each other up. We don’t see a lot of kids getting down. They know if they are going to sit and go pout they are not going to be in the game.”
Batavia coach Ashley Szymski is looking for more of that in her team. The Bulldogs (7-6, 3-2) were coming off Upstate Eight wins when they scored 12 runs against South Elgin and 8 against Metea Valley but didn’t manage a hit against Hohman until Katie Ryan ripped a single to left with two outs in the sixth inning.
“I think cohesiveness is an issue,” Szymski said. “If we played more as a team we’d be a little more successful. I feel there is a little bit of an individuality feel to our team. And it’s a team sport. You have to play together. If you listen to Waubonsie they were talking and cheering whether they were on the field or the bench. That is kind of lacking in our program.”
Szymski compared Hohman to Glenbard North’s Lilly Fecho as the best pitcher Batavia has faced this year. Hohman opened the game striking out the side in the first inning and ended fanning each Batavia hitter at least once except for Katie Neubauer.
“Shannon is the real deal,” Szymski said. “She’s a really good pitcher.
“We have to have a game plan going into the batter’s box. A lot of her go-to pitch was a low inside pitch and when it’s there you have to just turn on it. She’s so fast it’s harder to get around on it. A couple of our batters started to put the bat on the ball toward the end but you can’t wait to the sixth, seventh inning.”
Batavia starter Katie Coleman matched Hohman with four scoreless innings as the Warriors stranded five runners in that stretch.
Amanda Lack started Waubonsie’s 3-run rally in the fifth by coaxing a one-out walk. Meleina Koulos followed with a single and Minahan brought them both in with a triple to the gap in left center.
“We were all just pushing each other to get hits and once my teammates got on base I knew I had to do something to get them in,” Minahan said. “I’m proud of everyone. We were constantly having players on base we just couldn’t hit them in until later in the game. We’re a good hitting team and she (Coleman) was a good pitcher and she really battled us and hit us inside and we had to learn how to hit the pitch.”
Erin Hohman’s ground out to short scored Minahan to make it 3-0. Koulos came up with the key hit in the sixth against reliever Neubauer, a 2-run single to score Haylie Wensel and Jessica Sarch.
That was plenty of offense for Hohman who was coming off a 14-strikeout game Tuesday against Elgin. She didn’t allow a Batavia runner reach third base.
“Shannon is amazing,” Minahan said. “I’m so glad she’s on the team now. She has proved so much to us and today was one of her best games.”
Paige Zochert had the only other hit for Batavia when she lined a double with two outs in the seventh. The Bulldogs will try to rebound Thursday when they host Neuqua Valley.
“It is kind of which team decides to show up that day,” Szymski said. “Neuqua has a quick offense, our defense has to be on their toes tomorrow. Our defense did fine today. It was purely not putting the bat on the ball enough.”