Softball: Neuqua Valley prevails over wind, Naperville North
The wind blew in Friday afternoon at Naperville North's varsity softball field. One might think that hits would be few and far between.
That wasn't the case as the Huskies and visiting Neuqua Valley combined for 19 hits with the Wildcats' total of 12 pushing them to a 7-1 victory.
The win took the sting out of what was a tough start for the week for Neuqua (8-10, 4-1 DuPage Valley Conference) as the team lost its first two games. Coach Christina Frontera said it was exactly what the Wildcats needed.
"The last two games against Wheaton Warrenville South and Plainfield North we have been in a hitting slump," she said. "We were able to get the hits down today. We're back."
The Wildcats took a 2-0 advantage in the first. Leadoff hitter Mikaela Domico walked. Teammate Gina Rivera followed with a single to center. A passed ball moved each runner over. A sacrifice fly by Abby Meeks scored Domico, and Paige Price's basehit to right scored Rivera.
Home plate was untouched the next two innings with the Huskies (3-9, 1-4) getting two hits and the Wildcats none. Naperville North cut Neuqua's lead to 2-1 in its half of the fourth. Alyssa Vansickle smashed a triple to the right field corner with one out. Alexis Hilgert followed next by converting a 1-2 pitch into a double to left that scored Vansickle. Hilgert doubled again in the seventh.
A spurt of five runs on six hits for the Wildcats began in the fifth when Meeks led off with a double to left and Price earned her second RBI of the contest on a single. The next inning saw Meeks clear the bases for a 3-run double. She finished with 4 RBI and 3 hits.
"You definitely needed more to get the ball out, a lot more effort," Meeks said of the wind direction during the game. "We came out big in the first inning and slowed down half way through. But we came together at the end."
Danielle Olson closed out the Wildcats' scoring in the seventh as she put a 2-0 pitch over the fence. Winning pitcher was Julia Rainer, earning the complete-game victory with three strikeouts.
Neuqua stays on the road Saturday with a doubleheader at Minooka.
As for Naperville North, coach Jerry Kedziora likes how the Huskies continue to put the parts together needed to be consistently successful. He was pleased with the pitching.
"I'm excited. Christina (Karabetsos) started and battled. Alyssa (Vansickle) came in and hit her spots. We just didn't hit the ball enough like we have the last few games," he said.
The Huskies close out the week with a twinbill Saturday at Oswego East.