Molay delivers Glenbrook North's second rally past rival Titans

Maddie Molay got in the last word.

Glenbrook North's junior pitcher surrendered a home run to the first Glenbrook South batter she faced, kept plugging away, and came back to haunt the visiting Titans at the plate.

With bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Molay one-hopped the fence on a high drive to center field, scoring Caitlyn Lofland and Shayna Seiler with the tying and winning runs to give the Spartans a 3-2 come-from-behind victory May 13 in Northbrook.

“It was crazy,” Molay said.

“I mean, it was great hitting that, considering those hits I had today weren't the best,” said Molay, who had struck out and twice reached base on errors in an otherwise sparkling defensive game by both teams.

“I thought that was good, and I'm really happy because South's, like, our rivals, so it was good beating them.”

It really was crazy given Glenbrook South was up 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh and had led since the game's third pitch, when Glenbrook South center fielder Maggie Baumstark launched a high fastball over the fence in right-center field.

“It was a good hit by her,” Molay said, “and just shake it off and keep going.”

Different score, but same result as the Central Suburban League South game of April 27, when Glenbrook North (7-7, 3-3) scored 8 runs in the fifth inning of a 9-8 win over the Titans (8-11, 2-4).

“To be honest we don't usually (rally), but this is the second time we've come back in a game against them. It's been huge against a big rival of ours,” said Spartans coach Bridget Matsunaga.

One person's huge is another's disappointment.

“When you're winning for six and a half innings and you lose it in the bottom of the seventh, that's always going to hurt,” Baumstark said. “Especially when our pitcher (Sami Nash) was doing phenomenal the entire game and, just, they picked her up at the end.

“Yeah, that's softball. That's what happens.”

Baumstark took the game's first pitch just below the knee for a ball, and let the count go to 2-0 before smacking Molay's third pitch, chest high on the outside corner, opposite field for a solo home run.

“I don't usually like to swing first pitch, first at-bat because I think the job of the leadoff hitter is to see as many pitches as possible and bring it back to the dugout,” Baumstark said. “But 2-0, she gave me something that I wanted to hit. I was all loaded up and it just took off.”

The Washington University (St. Louis) recruit made it 2-0 in the top of the third inning when she walked, stole second base and scored on Maddie Kapsimalis' opposite-field single through the left side of the infield.

Molay (6-2) allowed 3 hits the next 4 innings with crisp defense behind her.

Glenbrook North shortstop Lexi Kuffel helped her escape a fourth-inning jam going deep into the hole to grab a pop-up then fire across the infield to Lofland at first to double-off a Glenbrook South runner.

Kuffel flawlessly handled two chances to negate a Spartans threat in the fifth, and with Glenbrook South courtesy runner Emily Shim on second base with 2 outs in the seventh, Lofland's stretch and scoop of a bouncing throw to first kept the Titans lead at 2-0.

“We definitely hit it and wanted it a lot this game. As for our defense, we knew the stakes, and we were all really into it and talking a lot and just supporting each other,” said Glenbrook North leadoff hitter Shayna Seiler, whose left-handed slap hitting earned her 3 hits.

Glenbrook South's defense likewise excelled to support Nash, who scattered 5 hits until the fateful seventh inning. The Titans executed an unlikely 2-3-2 double play when on a safety squeeze catcher Alex Azara threw to Alex Kleeman for the out at first, then received Kleeman's throw back to the plate and made the tag.

Outfielders Baumstark, Nikki Steffen and Emily Miller all robbed Spartans batters with running catches. Azara scrambled to pick up a dropped third strike that rolled to the backstop, and whipped the ball to Kleeman for the out.

Glenbrook North had runners in scoring position in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth innings but Nash and Co. escaped each time.

Kuffel and Lofland both singled to start the bottom of the seventh, though, and Seiler's perfect bunt loaded the bases. Lauren Pines' line single into center field scored Kuffel and set up Molay's game-winning hit.

“I think Maggie said it best: It's hard when you're winning six and a half innings and then you drop it in the bottom of the seventh. It's disappointing,” said Glenbrook South coach Dana Boehmer.

“I'm proud of the way Sami came out and pitched today, I thought she did a really good job, she kept the team off balance. Our defense was really strong throughout, too. Typically we rely on our bats, and today we just didn't have it.”