Softball: Splitberger’s clutch hit helps Conant rally past Prospect
With her team trailing visiting Prospect 5-4, two runners on base and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Conant senior Tia Splitberger called it an "overwhelming situation" to be in the batter's box.
"But I love a good challenge," said the Elmhurst University pledge. "I love it. I feel that all challenges make me work harder and harder for my spot on the field. That's never given to you. It's earned."
Splitberger (2-for-4) certainly earned high praise as she delivered a clutch double off the centerfield fence that scored junior Ava Falcone with the dramatic tying run.
Junior Charlotte Wolf then reached on an infield error to bring home the winning run from third base in Conant's tense 6-5 Mid-Suburban League opening-day win in Hoffman Estates.
"This was a very important win," said Splitberger, a first baseman. "It was our first home game and we are a very young team losing so many very important seniors. Now all our seniors have to step up this year, including myself."
Stepping up in the circle for Conant (1-1, 1-0) were freshman starter Jenny Ryan (four innings) and sophomore Kiana Leopoldo, who notched the win.
"For being a freshman and sophomore, they handled the challenge," said Conant coach Kelly Wolff. "They didn't doubt themselves. Even when they faltered a little bit, they bounced back. We had teammates backing them up."
Falcone got the Cougars rolling early when she belted an 0-2 pitch over the centerfield fence for a 2-run homer in the third inning. Colleen McManamon, Grace Valenzia and Splitberger (RBI single off the right center fence) all followed with hits and Wolf's sacrifice fly to center made it 4-0.
Prospect (4-4, 0-1) came back with 3 runs in the fourth, ignited by Rachael Sasanuma's double to right. Grace Hess followed with an RBI single to right. After a walk to Gabby Dilan, Lina Calvacca singled home Hess. Kate Kulak then reached on an error bringing home Dilan.
Prospect tied the game in the fifth when Julia Nay singled to right, stole second, went to third on Gina Falls' sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch.
The Knights took their only lead in the sixth when Dilan doubled to left, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kulak's infield single.
"After we scored first, we felt like we were OK and we forgot that we had to finish the game," Wolff said. "But what I liked is how we came back at the end of the game and strung together some hits. We can't ask for anything more than that."
The Cougars' big bottom of the seventh started with senior Ashleigh Simmon's double to the left center field. Falcone (2-for3,) then singled to give the hosts runners on the corners with no outs.
Prospect came up with two big plays. Hess got a groundout to the mound and then freshman third baseman Maeve Johl fielded a grounder and threw to catcher GIanna Catanzano for the second out.
But that's when Splitberger delivered her big double.
"Tia came through with the double and then Char put the ball in play to get us that winning run," Wolff said. "We're young and we're going to get better each day. We'll get back to practice (Tuesday)."
Prospect had hits from eight different players, including 2-for-3 performances from second baseman Dilan and sophomore shortstop Liz Archer.
"We were hitting the ball but we just needed to string a few more together and take away a few baserunning errors," said Knights coach Krystina Leazer. "I thought Lina (Calvacca, a sophomore) and Grace (Hess, a junior) did a nice job but we just took ourselves out of some innings.
"I told the girls we just have to learn from this game. We had some really nice plays (Catanzano caught a runner stealing) and some plays where we just completely took ourselves out of it. All we can do is learn and improve and take that to our next game so we don't make the same mistakes twice."