Softball: Energized Libertyville topples Lake Zurich
A quick lesson in physics.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred.
That's kind of what happened to pitcher Amanda Page and the Libertyville softball team on Tuesday afternoon against visiting Lake Zurich.
The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the second inning but Libertyville (8-4, 4-0) rallied for an eventual 8-2 victory, leaving the Wildcats in first place in the North Suburban Conference.
With one out and a 3-2 count, Maura Ginn smacked a double to right field scoring Natalie Jokerst, who was pinch running for Haley Gajewski (hit by pitch). Ginn later came home on a sacrifice.
"When they scored those two runs, our energy was low," said Page, who raised her record to 7-3 after scattering 5 hits with 8 strikeouts and no walks. "I was a little rattled. But our energy popped back up after we came back in the third."
True.
The Cats knotted things up 2-2 in the bottom of the third with a 2-spot with two outs. Shortstop Aliya Haddon roped a single to center to score Katie Jahncke, who led off the frame with a single. Then Page, who also singled earlier, scored on an error.
Page settled down after that, tossing 3-hit ball over the final four innings.
"She was hitting her corners well," said Bears coach Kelly Hardbarger, whose team slipped to 7-7 overall and 3-1 in the NSC. "We were just a little flat today. We had just that one bad inning. We didn't bring our 'A' game today."
Libertyville took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth with 5 runs for a 6-2 lead, scoring all of its runs with two outs.
After a pair of singles and a hit batter, Maggie Evers laced a 2-run single to center, scoring Jahncke and Page. Haddon then drilled a 2-run single to plate Evers and Julia Zinkewich.
"I felt so much better after we got those runs," said Page, who had 3 singles on the day. "After we started scoring, we just fed off each others energy. Energy is what really matters and my teammates picked me up."
Libertyville scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth when Haddon singled to center to score Page.
Lake Zurich pitcher Stephanie Keefe (4-6) scattered 9 hits with 2 strikeouts and no walks in the losing effort.
"A couple of errors cost us (in the top of the second), but we did a good job of not letting that set the tone," said Cats head coach Elissa Wisniewski. "And we got a couple of two-out hits to score runs, which is always good for your offense."