West Aurora, Burlington both stay perfect
During their recent, four-game spring trip to Kentucky, West Aurora's softball players used the horse racing term "mudders" to describe their success in adverse conditions.
On Thursday, the unbeaten Blackhawks rode that ticket to victory once again, edging Geneva 5-4 in six innings under a pesky, steady rain that turned West's home field into a sloppy track.
"We've joked about being mudders," West coach Dave Zine said, "but it's worked pretty well for us so far, because all our games have been played in conditions like this."
And they've all been wins -- albeit not pretty. But West Aurora (6-0) found a way once again, capitalizing on a two-run error by Geneva in the fifth and scoring the winning run on a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the sixth.
"To win with a 'walk-off walk' says a lot about our patience at the plate," Zine said. "All and all, not one of our better games, but we'll take the win."
The game had the same closeness as a horse race with numerous ties and lead changes. Geneva (1-3) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third without the benefit of a hit as Kait Pennybacker walked and later scored on an error.
West Aurora tied it in the bottom of the frame after Jess Medgyes reached on an error to lead off and scored on a single by Sam Arenkill (2-for-2, 2 RBI).
Geneva's No. 9 hitter, Danielle Caprile, rapped a two-out triple in the fifth and scored on a line-drive single by Nikki Davis for a 2-1 lead in the fifth. West Aurora got two of its five hits in the fifth inning en route to three runs.
The big blow came when Mary Beth Vasquez laid down a bunt that turned into a two-run throwing error. Then, with two outs, Arenkill ripped a towering triple off the right field fence to add another run and give West Aurora a 4-2 lead.
But Geneva responded as Deirdre Phalon drew a lead-off walk from Stephanie Becker. Melissa Barber followed with a double, and both ultimately scored on a combination of passed balls and wild pitches, as the Vikings knotted the score at 4-4.
"To be down by two runs and then come back to tie the game was good," Geneva coach Greg Dierks said. "The fact that we came back like that against a tough team will give us some confidence going forward."
Becker yielded just three hits -- all in the last two innings -- while striking out eight and walking four. Geneva pitcher Kelly McCaffrey struck out three and walked seven -- but four of those costly walks came in the bottom of the sixth as conditions deteriorated.
"It was tough to find a firm place in the pitcher's circle by then; it was like quicksand," Dierks said.
"We simply got outplayed by Geneva; we were lucky to win this one," Zine said. " (After a 4-0 trip to Kentucky), we didn't kid ourselves. We played well there, but we knew we had some things to fix. This game brought those to light. But it's good to get a win."
Burlington Central 5, Barrington 1:ŒAnother day, another win for the Burlington Central softball team.
Ho-hum, right? Well, not quite. This wasn't just any old win for the Rockets, now ranked No. 2 in the ICA Class 3A statewide poll.
No, this win was a statement that the Rockets are every bit as good as advertised.
Junior Mackenzie Scott tossed a 3-hitter with 12 strikeouts and the Rockets played aggressive softball in downing defending Class AA state runner-up and Class 4A No. 6 Barrington 5-1 at Barrington's Fields of Dreams.
"It was nice to come out here and play a good team and show us where we're at," said Scott, whose hitless streak extended to 19 ½ innings before Barrington's Lindsey Dulla beat out an infield dribbler with one out in the sixth.
"It's a good win and it's an honor to beat a team like Barrington."
The Rockets (5-0) scored twice in the top of the first as Barrington, playing on its varsity field for the first time this season after 6 games on its JV field, committed 3 throwing errors.
Junior speedster Kayla Oranger led off the game for the Rockets by beating out a bunt. Then, on an Ashley Scheffler grounder, the Fillies (6-1) committed 2 throwing errors, allowing Oranger to score and Scheffler to go to second. With Sam Gruner at the plate, Scheffler stole third and Barrington committed another throwing error, Scheffler scoring to make it a 2-0 game before most of the fans even showed up.
"We jumped on them right away and that was big," said BC coach Scot Sutherland
The game was then dominated by Scott and her Barrington counterpart, junior Kim Cygan, until the sixth. Scott's 12 strikeouts gives her 47 in her 3 wins this spring while Cygan also pitched admirably, striking out 10 and walking none while allowing 5 hits.
Scott pitched out of a tough spot in the bottom of the sixth after allowing her first run of the season, which came home when Dulla scampered home on a BC throwing error.
With two outs and the tying run on second in the person of Lisa Shandley, who had singled and stole second, Scott struck out Barrington's No. 3 hitter, Devinne Wapotish, to end the threat and preserve the lead for the Rockets.
"We knew coming in Barrington was a good hitting team but our defense pulled it together and (Gruner) did a good job of calling the game," said Scott, this week's Toyota Athlete of the Week, who will be featured on WBBM-AM 780 today at 6:15 a.m., 8:156 a.m., 6:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
"That was their best against our best," Sutherland said of the Scott-Wapotish matchup with the game on the line. "Mac went out and did what Mac's capable of doing. It was good to see."
The Rockets then iced the win by tagging Cygan (6-1) for 3 runs and 3 hits in the top of the seventh. Gruner and senior Brooke Porto led off the inning with singles and with one out, Lindsay Lange doubled off the left-field fence to drive in courtesy runner Jordan Maisto. Porto then came home on a fielder's choice grounder by senior Erica Maisto, and Lange scored the game's final run on a wild pitch.
"They do the finer things way better than we do at this point of the season," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. They were deserving and they were the better team. We'll keep working at it."
-- John Radtke