Softball: Palatine bounces back big
After having an eight-game winning streak snapped by Barrington two days earlier, the Palatine softball team had only one thing on its mind Wednesday.
And it had nothing to do with the fact the Pirates were playing Schaumburg, one of the strongest Mid-Suburban League teams in recent years.
"We didn't think about them and how good they have been in the past," said shortstop Maddie Craver (4-for-5, 2 runs, RBI). "We just wanted to play our game."
A game that featured an offensive outburst on Wednesday as the Pirates teed off for a season-high 19 hits in 5 innings en route to a 17-3 win at Schaumburg.
"We just tried to realize that their team is the same as any team we play," said Palatine senior third baseman Brooke Bauer. "We just wanted to come out strong."
No one was stronger than Bauer (3-for-4, 3 RBI), who cracked her third homer in the third inning. The 2-run blast over the center field fence made it 2-1 and the Pirates never trailed while improving their record to 10-2 and 3-1 in the West.
Junior right-hander Sarah Grossman (7-1) threw the first inning and lefty freshman Rhiann Dick (3-1) entered the game in the second inning with her team leading 3-2, the bases loaded and no outs.
Dick prevented any further damage by getting a line drive to shortstop Craver, who caught the ball and threw to Bauer at third for the force and double play.
Dick then struck out next batter to thwart Schaumburg's biggest threat of the game. She went on to give up just 2 hits and 1 run in 4 innings.
"Rhiann did a good job getting us out of that jam in the second inning," said Palatine coach Nicole Pauly. "For a freshman to come in and do that, that's something special. We see her and Sarah (Grossman) as a unit."
After Dick's major escape, the Pirates' offensive unit continued to roll. The Pirates sent 13 batters to plate in the top of third, scoring 9 runs on 11 hits.
Craver, Amanda Stanczuk (2-for-3), Bauer and Anna Selleck (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each had 2 hits in the big inning.
No. 9 hitter Brittany Padden went 3-for-3 for the Pirates while freshman Chase Friel belted her first varsity home run with one out the top of the fourth. Also getting hits for Palatine were Grace Huff, Grace Seiffert, Reggie Much and Emily Brinckerhoff.
"It all starts at the top of our order," said Bauer said. "When everyone is hitting, it's contagious. It was a total team effort for us to come back from the Barrington loss."
"We really wanted to get our winning streak back," Craver added.
The Saxons had seven players with 1 hit apiece. One was a first-inning, two-out home run to center by starting pitcher Michelle Birkholz. Other extra base hits for the hosts (4-7, 3-2) were senior Kaiden Jackson's triple to right, senior Alex Cook's RBI double to right center and senior Michaela Encarnacion's first-inning double.
Encarnacion and Bauer will be softball and volleyball teammates at Ripon College.
Palatine did not commit an error behind Grossman and Dick.
"I thought we finally put together a whole game at every position," Pauly said. "The energy we had after that Barrington game is what we needed to beat a team like Schaumburg."