Benet 2, Carmel 1
Wednesday's softball game between Benet and Carmel Catholic saw plenty of pitching fireworks and way too much wind.
As the winds gusted as strong as 35 miles per hour, they weren't strong enough to fluster pitchers Meghan Eastman and Rachel Tack.
After nine innings, both pitchers had thrown complete games and had given up just three runs between them.
Eastman ended up with win, striking out eight, to lead Benet to a 2-1 victory.
Tack struck out seven.
"This was a good game for both teams," Benet coach Jerry Schilf said. "Carmel's a tough team and both pitchers played well."
Benet improved to 8-4 and remained perfect in the East Suburban Catholic Conference at 3-0. Carmel dropped to 2-4 and is winless in the ESCC with both conference losses coming at the hands of the Redwings.
No one crossed home plate until the fourth inning when Benet's Kelsey Wirth was driven in on a bunt.
Eastman no-hit the Corsairs until the bottom of the seventh inning.
With one out and Kelly Cook in scoring position, sophomore Meg Grady hit a booming RBI double to the left-field fence. Cook was nearly tagged out at home but she ran over Benet catcher Wirth for the tying run.
According to Carmel coach Jason Raymond, if it wasn't for the gusting winds, Grady's hit could have done more than just tie the game.
"We just needed to put the ball in the air and that's what she did," Raymond said. "Any other day, that hit would've been a home run, but with the wind, it just goes to the fence."
Thankfully for Benet, that didn't happen. But that didn't mean the Redwings were done dodging bullets in the seventh. Grady not only broke up Eastman's no-hitter, but started a Carmel rally.
After her double, Carmel racked up two more hits and loaded the bases with just one out. But Eastman retired the next tow hitters to send the game to extra innings.
"Our pitcher really kept up her concentration," Wirth said. "We tend to get rattled. So to hold (off Carmel) with bases loaded was a real improvement."
Courtney Makowski came up big for the Redwings in the ninth, leading off the inning with a double to the left-field fence.
After a sacrifice bunt from Wirth, Mikayla Panko drove in the winning run.
"We hung tough in the seventh inning, and we were able to answer back in the ninth," Schilf said. "My third baseman (Makowski) was pounding the ball all day long and she came up with that huge leadoff double. Without that hit, we could've been in trouble."