Softball: Geneva stays hot, tops St. Charles East
Geneva has won a lot of softball games lately - now 15 in a row - but there was something special about Wednesday's 9-5 victory at St. Charles East.
Senior Kaitlyn Plocinski has been a fixture in the Vikings lineup since her freshman year. Until Wednesday, she had never been part of a win over the Saints.
Plocinski played a big role in changing that, launching a 2-out, 3-run home run in the sixth inning that extended Geneva's 6-4 lead to 9-4.
"That would have been a tough inning not to score in," said Geneva coach Greg Dierks. "To get two outs and hammer one like that is fantastic. That was certainly the biggest hit of the game.
"This is a game we haven't been able to win for a few years. It's a great confidence builder. The girls are really feeling good about themselves. With each passing day they are feeling they belong in this mix which is great because we haven't been able to do it before."
Geneva (17-2, 8-0) extended its lead in the Upstate Eight Conference River with a chance to take further control of the race Friday against St. Charles North. The Vikings defeated a St. Charles East (17-4, 7-2) team that also has been playing well having won 8 straight before Wednesday.
Plocinski's home run was her third of the season and made a winner of freshman Emily Viebrock, who has stepped up for the Vikings with Ali Dierks unable to pitch with a strained tendon in her pitching hand.
"It's a huge deal especially senior year because they've always been super strong," Plocinski said. "Today we fought hard and everyone contributed and I thought it was a great effort. Everybody was focused. It is such a big deal to beat them."
Leadoff hitter Katie Keller sparked the Geneva offense all day, going 4-for-4, scoring 4 runs and smacking a 2-run triple into the left-field corner during Geneva's 4-run fourth inning that put the Vikings ahead to stay.
"Everyone was kind of nervous today going after East," Keller said. "But we battled hard and brought all our energy from the last couple games. Everyone hit and everyone contributed and that's what made us win today."
Keller singled in the first and third innings, scoring on a double steal in the first and then on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
St. Charles East took its only lead of the game 3-2 in the third thanks to a clutch, 2-out-, 2-run single to short left by Jordan Hieber.
The Vikings answered with four runs in the fourth to go up 6-3. Alyssa Kramer, who made the defensive play of the game with a catch in left field, Ali Dierks and Sam Keller all singled to load the bases. Kyla Chenier drove in a run with a groundout before Keller's 2-run triple.
"They took advantage of, I don't want to call them errors, but they had a couple infield hits that led to a big inning for them," Saints coach Jarod Gutesha said. "That's the way the game is sometimes.
"It's one game. We're still learning. It's good when you play games like that."
Sara Campagna and Hannah Cozzi both had 2 hits for the Saints against Viebrock, who improved to 11-0.
"The positive with the injury (to Ali Dierks) is we have all the confidence in the world in Emily right now. She's just doing a great job," Greg Dierks said.
"Our batting order from top to bottom has been effective. They are all contributing. Because of that there's no innings off. Every inning we're a threat. And our defense has played very well."