VH adds to Grant's discomfort

If this were last year, Megan Meline's spike doesn't slam into Rachel DePouw's shin.

If this were either of the two previous softball seasons, one bad pitch doesn't lead to bad luck and befall Grant's four-year varsity pitcher.

But this is this year.

"I literally have been in pain all season," said DePouw, looking like she wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry following Vernon Hills' 10-1 win over visiting Grant in the teams' North Suburban Prairie Division showdown Tuesday.

Meline's 9 strikeouts in 4 innings of 3-hit ball and a 10-hit attack kept Vernon Hills (19-10, 8-1) in sole possession of first place in the NSC Prairie with 3 divisional games left.

"That would be huge," Cougars senior shortstop Michelle Harris said of a potential division title. "Last year we had a good run. At the beginning of this season we had a couple of losses and Megan's (hamstring) injury, and we had a couple of good players that quit (during tryouts). We were kind of defeated at the beginning of the season. So I think if we came back and won the division that would be a huge boost."

DePouw understands the frustrations that can occur during the course of a season. She began her senior campaign by spraining her left ankle and then her right ankle. Not long ago, she pulled her left calf muscle, which caused her to miss a couple of games and practices.

"I was seeing my trainer and he said I should sit for a straight month until regionals because otherwise I'm going to keep irritating it," DePouw said.

She pitched Monday in a loss to Antioch.

"(The calf) was kind of bothering me, but I didn't want to get taken out because I knew it was a big game," DePouw said. "I played through it."

She started in the circle against Vernon Hills. But with Meline standing on third base in the bottom of the first after her RBI triple scored Sami Freibrun with the game's first run, DePouw uncorked a wild pitch. Meline slid home safely, accidentally spiking DePouw, whose tag was late.

"When I went to cover home, she did cleat me in my other shin and, when I fell, I must have tweaked it (the calf) again," DePouw said. "When I was walking back (to the pitching circle), I was like, 'Oh, no. This is not good.' It's my landing foot so when I push off and land on it, every time I tweak it."

Vernon Hills scored five runs in the second. Meline drew a bases-loaded walk and later scored on another wild pitch. Jordyn Comitor ripped a 2-run single, and Jenn Claussen followed with an RBI base hit.

A wounded DePouw was done after the second inning with Grant trailing 7-1. She was replaced in the circle by sophomore Caitlin Moran.

Mind you, the last time the two teams played, DePouw nearly single-handedly beat Vernon Hills. She pitched a complete-game shutout and provided all the offense with a 3-run homer.

"It was nice to jump on her early because she's the type of pitcher that I think gets stronger as the game goes on," Cougars coach Steve Korney said. "To get some runs early was huge to put some pressure on their team."

Harris provided a spark offensively, bunting for a hit to help start the 5-run second and walking her next two times up. She stole 2 bases and scored twice.

"We came out fighting today, really wanting to get on top quickly," said Harris, who also handled 4 chances flawlessly in the field. "We're usually a team that starts getting our runs in the sixth inning. So it was nice to get them in the beginning. It carried us through the rest of the game."

Grant (19-10, 7-3), which would have moved into a tie for first with a win, scored its only run in the second. Jamie Reiser (1-for-3) touched Meline for a leadoff single, was bunted to second by Kayla Uhwat (1-for-2) and scored one out later on a base hit by Jessica Catinella (1-for-3).

Jenn Claussen pitched 3 no-hit innings in relief of Meline, striking out four, to earn the save. Offensively for the Cougars, the heart of the order - Meline, Comitor and Claussen - each had 2 hits. Claussen doubled in the fourth and scored on Anya Mollenhauer's single.

Vernon Hills visits Wauconda today and faces Antioch and Lakes next week to wrap up divisional play.

"I certainly have had (Tuesday's game) circled on my calender since the last time we lost to (Grant)," Korney said. "Any time in the division you lose two to the same opponent it's tough to compete for the title."