Softball: Meeks leads Neuqua Valley past Downers Grove North

Last year Abby Meeks sent 9 home runs flying over the fence for Neuqua Valley, yet she's well aware of the impact that her line drives that stay in the park can have on the Wildcats' success.

In Thursday's impressive 8-5 defeat of visiting Downers Grove North, the Indiana University recruit did not smack a home run, but she still came up plenty big. Meeks recorded a double, a triple and a first-inning sacrifice fly for a quick 2-0 lead on the Trojans (9-3).

"That felt really good off my bat. I was really happy with that," the first baseman said of her fourth-inning triple, a screamer past a diving center fielder in the left-center field gap. "They're a good team and for sure, we played well today."

Neuqua Valley pitcher Allie Grossman also came up big, going the distance for her third victory and taking an 8-2 lead into the seventh before Downers Grove North scored three unearned runs after a pair of infield errors.

"I spent a lot of time warming up and then I was pitching between innings just to make sure all my pitches stayed working," said Grossman, who did not allow an earned run to the potent Trojans lineup. "And knowing I had a good defense behind let me just throw where I wanted to."

The visitors did take a 3-2 lead in the top of the second after Melissa Manzo hit a bases-clearing double off the wall in left. The inning was extended by an error, but later Grossman's defense helped her out, including right fielder Kelsey O'Connor, who made a pair of dazzling catches in the gap.

"I felt confident after a couple innings," the Wildcats pitcher said. "They are really a dominant team, so just keeping the lead and having the offense behind me helped me feel confidence and to keep going on. Our offense was really good and we were filled with energy."

Neuqua Valley center fielder Sophia Remsik was 4-for-4. She scored twice and Alana Batista had a 2-run double in a 3-run third inning.

Downers Grove North, which won a big conference battle with Oak Park this week, did not pitch ace Estelle Czech, who went 2-for-4 while manning first base. Jill Arquilla (0-1) pitched three-plus innings before hard-throwing reliever Nicole Havey took over on the mound.

"I knew going into this game that what we saw last time, they have really good hitters," said Trojans coach Eric Landschoot, whose team beat the Wildcats early this season with Czech in the circle. "We won that last time, but I saw they could hit it. They put good swings on it."

Wildcats coach Christina Chrencik has told Meeks that "down and hard" can be just as good as over the wall.

"Our mindset was we have to make contact," she said. "Allie Grossman was great on the mound and we had good clutch hits when we needed them. With Abby we're telling her, make contact, especially when you got runners on. Keep it down and she did that."