Glenbard North ends Naperville Central’s streak
As final impressions go, Glenbard North’s was pretty emphatic Monday in Naperville.
The top-ranked and undefeated Panthers scored 6 runs with two outs in the seventh inning, and Lilly Fecho finished off an 11-strikeout 4-hitter by striking out the side to end a 9-1 win over No. 7 Naperville Central, snapping the Redhawks’ 12-game winning streak.
Panthers coach Josh Sanew knows the game was much closer than the final score, but he’ll gladly take it. The matchup of DuPage Valley Conference leaders was 2-1 through five innings until Ashley Stiver squeezed in a third run in the sixth.
“The kids were hyped up for this game, knowing that Naperville Central came in on a long winning streak,” Sanew said, “and when we play them it always seems to be a 1- or 2-run game. This was a 9-1 game — but it was not a 9-1 game. That seventh inning, the way we hit, it kind of wowed me.”
With two outs and nobody on in the seventh, eight straight Glenbard North batters reached, starting with Alex Caliva’s single. After another single Naperville Central booted a grounder to allow the inning to continue, and on a Sydney Benz single another error in the outfield cleared the bases. Heather Sperlazzo followed with a triple to deep right, giving the Panthers (18-0, 4-0 DVC) an 8-1 lead.
“It’s great to know that your team doesn’t just settle down and finish a game,” Fecho said. “We know that they are a great team and will keep fighting back. To add more runs was just great.”
Naperville Central (14-4, 3-1) had thrown seven shutouts during its win streak — five in a row at one point — but its defense was its undoing Monday. Two Redhawks errors led to 2 unearned runs in the second inning, giving Glenbard North a 2-1 lead, and two more errors in the seventh opened the floodgates. The 9 runs were the most allowed by the Redhawks this season.
“We just made mistakes that a championship-level team can’t make,” Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said, “and that we have not been making. That was very uncharacteristic of us.”
Fecho (13-0), who allowed just 1 unearned run in five games last week, was nicked for a run in the first inning Monday. Nicole Kappelman walked and scored on a Kelsey Gonzalez single, but Fecho worked out of a two-on, one-out jam by striking out the last two batters.
Given the 2-1 lead, Fecho knew what to do with it. The Purdue-bound senior lefty allowed just one baserunner after the second inning — a Kappelman bunt single in the fifth — seemingly getting stronger as the game wore on.
“She did what she’s been doing pretty much all year. She came out and attacked,” Sanew said. “After the first couple innings she started locating her changeup and she kept kids off-balance. If we get that lead in the third inning and she starts firing it’s very tough for teams to come back.”
Benz was 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the second inning, Caliva 3-for-4 and Sperlazzo 2-for-4 for Glenbard North, which pounded out 13 hits. Kappelman was 2-for-2 for Naperville Central, reaching base in all three plate appearances.
“It’s big to get that extra insurance with Lilly on the mound,” Sanew said. “We basically took the wind out of their sails and put a stamp on things.”