Geneva gets that 'must-win'

Rachel Hunter was in the on-deck circle when Kaneland purposely pitched around Melissa Barber in the top of the sixth inning with two outs.

"I definitely wanted to prove to them that I wasn't going to be the third out," the Geneva designated hitter said.

With Danielle Caprile and Barber on second and first, respectively, in a scoreless Western Sun Conference softball game, Hunter delivered.

Hunter hit a drive to right field, and a two-base misplay enabled both runners to score, the only offense of the game in the Vikings' 2-0 victory over Kaneland in Maple Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Sophomore right-hander Kelly McCaffrey went the distance for Geneva, scattering 2 hits while fanning six.

"This was about a must-(win) situation for us," Geneva coach Greg Dierks said. "We couldn't afford to fall two games behind (the league leaders)."

Geneva improved to 13-11 overall and 5-3 in the league; Kaneland fell to 14-6, 5-3.

Batavia, which will resume classes today, has only two league losses but must make up two conference games.

Kaneland freshman Delani Vest was the tough-luck loser for the Knights.

The right-hander retired 12 of 13 batters from the top of the first until the fifth inning, but Caprile, who had 2 of the Vikings' 3 hits, legged out a dribbler down the third-base line with one out in the sixth.

Deidre Phalon sacrificed the senior to second, and Kaneland coach Dennis Hanson decided he wanted no further heroics from Barber.

"(Barber) hit three home runs against us in one game last year," Hanson said. "It was an easy choice."

But the strategy backfired when Hunter drove the ball deep to right field.

"It felt clean off the bat," Hunter said. "I saw (the right fielder) back-peddling and noticed she was having trouble."

"(The runs) made the rest of the game a lot easier," Dierks said.

To that point in the game, Kaneland pinch-runner Tara Groen was the only player from either team to reach third base.

Running for catcher Andrea Potts, who reached on an error and leadoff walk, respectively, in the first and fourth innings, Groen was stranded both times by McCaffrey.

"It was kind of an important game," McCaffrey said. "My screwball and curve were working well today."

McCaffrey retired the side in order only once, but the sophomore pitched out of every trouble spot for her fourth shutout of the year.

"We got runners to second and third base, but nobody got a hit," Hanson said. "That's the name of the game. We just weren't sharp today."

Chassidy Mangers' two-out fifth-inning double was the final Kaneland base hit; Kristen Stralka had the Knights' other hit, a single in the third.