St. Charles North powers past St. Charles E.
After watching his team smack five extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs, during Monday’s 10-2 victory over St. Charles East, St. Charles North softball coach Tom Poulin thinks it is just the beginning of something special.
“We don’t want to sound egotistical but I think with the (poor) weather and the unpredictable schedule we’ve had, we feel like we can hit a lot better from top to bottom,” said Poulin. “We’re still putting up six, seven, eight runs a game so it’s good that they’re hungry and they feel like they’re not clicking yet.”
Extending their winning streak to 11, the North Stars (12-1, 6-0) jumped off to a 3-0 first-inning lead against the Saints.
Sydney Russell singled to lead off the game and took second on an error before Loren Cihlar’s bunt single put runners on first and third.
After Cihlar stole second, Taylor Russell laid down a bunt to the right side of the Saints’ infield, allowing Sydney Russell to score the game’s first run.
“I gave her the sign whatever you want to do — do,” Poulin said of Taylor Russell’s decision to bunt. “Sydney was at third and they have a connection there. They gave each other a look and Taylor laid it down.
“I kind of had a feeling she was going to do that,” added Poulin. “She’s got such a softball IQ.”
Senior pitcher Amanda Ciran (9-0) helped her own cause with an RBI single to make it 2-0 before another error led to North’s third run of the inning.
“You can’t start like that,” said Saints coach Kelly Horan. “Against a good team like they are, you can’t give them any breaks and we started the game off with quite a few. Any momentum we were hoping to have was killed with that (inning).”
On her next at-bat, Ciran belted a 2-run home run over the center field fence to extend North’s lead to 5-0.
“It was one of those that you don’t feel at all but you know it’s going,” said Ciran, who finished with 3 RBI.
After Annie Korth’s double caromed off the left field fence, Caitlin Khoury (3-for-4) laced an RBI double to right-center to make it 6-0.
“I’m real proud of Caitlin,” said Poulin. “She has been waiting patiently and has made the most of her opportunity. She’s swinging the bat real well.”
Korth, who reached base 4 consecutive times, hit a solo home run in the seventh before Cihlar’s RBI single capped the scoring. Ciran struck out 8, walked 3 and allowed 4 hits — all singles — in a distance performance.
“Beating (St. Charles) East is always a really nice feeling,” said Ciran. “I think we’re starting to get on a roll here.”
“She gets the job done,” Poulin said of his power pitcher. “When she’s hitting her spots and her changeup is on, she’s going to be successful a majority of the time.”
St. Charles East (6-9, 4-4) scored both of its runs in the third when Dani Asquini’s pop fly fell at the edge of the outfield grass in center field, knocking in Krista Besser and Lexi Perez.
Junior Leah Valesh (1-5) suffered the loss for the Saints, who host Elgin Tuesday afternoon.
“I think offensively from the second half of the game we have something to build on,” said Horan. “The first half of the game I wish we could forget about.”