Shannon's slam helps Rams slow Glenbard West
Forget setting the table - Glenbard East leadoff hitter Megan Shannon cleaned up this weekend.
Shannon's go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the sixth rallied the Rams past Glenbard West 7-6 in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader in Lombard. Glenbard West took the first game 3-0 behind Cassie Goggin's 4-hitter.
Shannon, who now has 3 homers on the year, also went deep on Friday in a big 2-0 win over West Aurora.
"I wasn't swinging for a home run," the Rams sophomore said. "I just wanted a single. My teammates got on base and got the momentum going."
Glenbard West led 6-2 in the fourth inning after Ashley Steinhilber's solo homer. Glenbard East got a run back in the fifth, and the first three Rams reached in the sixth to load the bases. Shannon unloaded them with a no-doubt shot over the left-field fence.
"I think it would have hit the house if that tree wasn't there," Rams coach Valerie Pinzker said.
Steinhilber was 2-for-4 for Glenbard West, her RBI single part of a 3-run Hilltoppers first. But Glenbard West stranded 6 baserunners and had 3 more thrown out at the plate.
"I give credit to their hitters. They made the adjustments in Game 2," Glenbard West coach Mary McGrane said. "I told my girls if they don't make adjustments at the plate then we won't hit the ball. I just hope we learn from this."
Shannon and Michaela Stranski had 3 hits and Brittany Cardott 2 hits in Game 2 for Glenbard East (7-11).
"Such a great way to finish the day," Pinzker said. "Individually, kids have been doing great things. We just haven't been able to consistently put it all together. I don't think our record is an indication of how well we're playing."
In Game 1 Glenbard West jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead, taking advantage of 3 Rams errors. Steinhilber's single scored Jayme Hefler with the second run. Hefler scored a third run in the fifth on Steinhilber's sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fifth, Glenbard East loaded the bases with one out. But Goggin induced a comebacker to start a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play.
"She just needed to settle down," McGrane said. "She's been throwing a lot for us. I think she's a little tired. When she settled down she did a great job and found her changeup."
Goggin (8-4) struck out 5 batters, 2 in the seventh on swings through changeups, to pitch Glenbard West (10-6) to its seventh win in eight games.
"I just tried to move it around - towards the end my changeup started working better," Goggin said. "That's usually my go-to pitch."