Meline drives home her point for Vernon Hills
Megan Meline showed in her high school softball debut that she can wheel and deal.
Truth is, though, the Vernon Hills freshman is counting down the days until she can simply get behind the wheel.
Meline - whose last name rhymes with machine - gave herself an "especially early" birthday present Wednesday. Meline was a machine, so to speak, striking out 11 batters and walking only one in pitching Vernon Hills to a season-opening, 6-2 win over visiting Palatine.
She also ripped an RBI single, walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.
"(Thursday) is my 14 and 7-12th birthday," the hard-throwing Meline said excitedly. "I turn 15 on August 19, and that's when I get to start driving. So I count down. (Thursday) is exactly five months."
Against Palatine (0-2), Meline scattered 5 singles. The 2 runs she allowed - including an RBI single to Joanne Jablonski in the first inning - were unearned.
"She's been a very accomplished travel player, and she's a good all-around athlete," Cougars coach Paul Weber said. "But she's never played at the varsity level so she's learning about spotting the ball, moving the ball around and different pitches and stuff like that. But she's going to be really good."
Meline says she's been pitching since the fourth grade, when her dad convinced her coach to let her try it. The 5-foot-10 right-hander also says her fastball has been clocked between 59-61 mph.
She struck out the first batter she faced on a wicked changeup.
"I was so nervous (Thursday)," Meline said. "I woke up and the second I realized what day it was, I was like, 'Oh gosh.' School seemed like it went by really fast. With every second, the game got closer. It was a scary feeling, but once I got here, it was like a healthy kind of nervous. I was pretty excited."
Palatine lefty Danielle Boisvert also made her varsity debut in the circle. She allowed only 2 earned runs in her 6 innings.
"I thought she did a nice job for her first varsity start," Pirates coach Jeff Manz said. "Obviously a little nervous, but I thought she settled down."
Senior Charlotte Hoffmann was Vernon Hills' big hitter, going 3-for-3 with a triple and 2-run single in the bottom of the first that snapped a 1-1 tie.
Senior Megan Kubacki was 2-for-4 for the Cougars, whose first six hitters all started on last year's team that won a school-record 30 games.
"That was awesome for a first game," Weber said.
Palatine started five sophomore and no seniors. The Pirates' defense was shaky.
"The big thing early on is learning to trust each other," said Manz, whose team visits St. Viator Thursday. "Until you get out there and play a lot, sometimes you're not worrying about what you're doing. You're worrying about everybody else and not doing your job, and it ends up costing you a little bit sometimes. The more they play together and get comfortable, I think we'll be fine."