Softball: Stevenson pulls away from Carmel
It was a pretty close softball game for four innings when host Stevenson took a 4-1 lead over Carmel Catholic heading into the fifth inning on Friday afternoon.
But the Patriots broke the game wide open with 7 runs on 6 hits in the top of the fifth to roll to an 11-1 nonconference victory in five innings in a contest that was moved from Mundelein to Lincolnshire due to field conditions.
Stevenson (4-4) got on the scoreboard in the top of the first when Alyssa Shimanski (3-for-4, 3 runs, triple) led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single by shortstop Jasmine Lucero for a 1-0 lead.
Stevenson's Abbie Lewis (2-for-3, 2 runs, double) singled and scored on an RBI double by Sara Saiki before Saiki (2 runs) scored on an RBI double by Leia Kaufmann (2-for-3, 2 RBI) for a 3-0 lead.
An RBI single by Sophia Becker (2-for-3, 3 RBI) drove in Shimanski for a 4-0 lead before Carmel (0-4) got a run off of winning pitcher Aubrey Jepson on a fielder's choice RBI by Emma Carney in the bottom of the third.
Shimanski started the 7-run fifth with a one-out triple to center before a 2-run single by Becker, an RBI double by Jepson, and an RBI single by Amanda Turofsky off of Carmel's Bella Cameron boosted the lead to 8-1. A run scored on a fielder's choice by Saiki before a fielder's choice RBI by Coco Yamada and an RBI single by Kaufmann accounted for the final score.
Jepson allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 4 innings before sophomore Samantha Gotschewski closed out the game with a fast 1-2-3 inning.
"I was very happy with how they played offense and defense and the team has been gelling really well, picking each other up when they do make mistakes," said Stevenson coach Vera Pflugradt, whose team outhit Carmel 14-3. "We're hitting the ball hard, swinging at good pitches and she (Shimanski) has been doing an awesome job in that (leadoff) position, and really making the pitcher work."
Leylani Sanchez walked and scored the Corsairs' only run while Cameron, Ainsley Rastovac, and Jenae Tompkins all went 1-for-2.
"It was a pretty good game for us. Our bats were on fire from the beginning," said Shimanski. "Stringing hits together really helped us win the game. Aubrey (Jepson) was really throwing it today, she did her job out there, and our defense helped with Jasmine (Lucero) on that diving play. And she's a freshman."