Softball: Downers Grove South's McKay throws a gem
Downers Grove South pitcher Randi McKay thrives in pressure situations, and for half of Tuesday's game at Sandburg, that trait came in handy.
But once her teammates started bashing the softball around, the pressure was off, yet she kept on dealing.
The Mustangs hurler recorded six three-up-and-three-down innings while beating the Eagles 8-1 in a nonconference game. Her teammates scored twice in the fifth and busted out for 5 more runs in the sixth. McKay allowed a run on 3 hits in the bottom of the third as the Eagles tied the score 1-1, but she worked out of a jam to limit that damage and then was perfect the rest of the way.
"I was put in that pressure situation but I love being put in those pressure situations," said McKay, who improved to 7-2 this spring. "Some pitchers fall in those situations and it's hard for them to work out. … I just stayed calm and I knew that if I trusted my pitches that I was going to be fine and I obviously trusted my defense."
She also has plenty of reason to trust the offense, which had 14 hits. That included a grand slam off the bat of Kaitlyn Wilson that shot over the fence down the left-field line to make the score 8-1 in the top of the sixth.
"That one inning was tough, but to bounce back and trust my teammates that we would make those adjustments at the plate and that we were going to get those runs back for me … and I know Kaitlyn said she owed it to me and she obviously wanted to get a hit. As a pitcher that is something I look for. If my team has got my back I feel like I can do anything. I just felt this game I had a lot of fire because I had my team behind me."
Downers Grove South (9-2) played errorless ball, McKay did not walk a batter, and left fielder Amelia Jiminez made a diving catch to rob the Eagles (10-9) of a hit to start off the fifth inning.
"The umpire had a tight strike zone and she didn't let it get to her," Mustangs coach Jim Cushing said. "She came back strong and she had a good changeup … she was getting the ball over. She's just so mentally tough."
Wilson went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI, but she was just one of many hitting stars for the Mustangs. Leadoff hitter Maggie Greco singled to open the game and scored the game's first run. She later singled and came home on Wilson's slam.
No. 9 hitter Carole Baker had two hits and Sydney Rau's line-drive triple in the fifth started the team's 2-run rally to break the 1-1 tie.
"I ran hard," Wilson said of her second varsity grand slam, which was a low rocket down the left-field line. "I definitely felt like I had to do it for Randi. And after it went out, everyone was so pumped."