Kuefler, Kaneland blast West Aurora

Asked the toughest adjustment to playing varsity softball as a freshman, Kaneland’s Paige Kuefler paused.

And paused.

And paused.

And after all that waiting, Kuefler couldn’t think of one thing.

Guess that’s what happens when you play as well as the Knights’ No. 3 hitter has. She continued her hot start in a 10-3 win at West Aurora on Monday going 3-for-4 with a double and 5 RBI.

“It’s going really good,” said Kuefler who plays summer softball for the Kane County Explosion. “I feel I’m coming onto a team that I feel more welcomed into. There’s some parts I feel discomfort but I get used to it.”

Kuefler got Kaneland (13-4) off to a quick start with an RBI single in the Knights’ 3-run first inning and another single to plate a run in the Knights’ 2-run second. West Aurora (3-12) played from behind all day.

“She is seeing the ball,” Kaneland coach Brian Willis said of Kuefler who started the game at third base, then finished the game at catcher and threw out a would-be base stealer.

“It’s like a beach ball coming up there. She’s hitting the ball hard.”

Delani Vest and Allyson O’Herron both singled to start the game. The top two hitters in Kaneland’s lineup combined to go 4-for-6 and score 6 runs.

“They set the table and then the big hitters hit the ball hard,” Willis said. “They put us out in front and let them chase all day and it’s a good formula if you can use it every game.”

It’s a formula the Knights have used much of the season. Their impressive record includes a 2-0 mark in the Northern Illinois Big 12 East heading into Tuesday’s game at Sycamore, a regional champ last year.

“I feel we are playing well,” Willis said. “We work hard, we practice hard. This has not been a couple week process. This is my third year and we want to go on a three-year plan putting into place and right now it is working out.”

West Aurora, which struggled on the bases running into two double plays, tried to get back in the game in the third. A 2-run double by Alexis Harkless brought the Blackhawks within 5-2 before Kaneland starter Alexis Villarreal induced a comebacker to strand runners at second and third.

The Knights then broke the game open in the fourth with Kuefler again providing the big blow, a 2-run double just over a leaping LaRi Mitchell in deep center field.

Villarreal worked the first five innings allowing 7 hits, 3 runs and 3 walks. Ellissa Eckert threw the final two scoreless innings.

“She (Villarreal) struggled a little today, she didn’t have her best stuff but she battled and did what she needed to do,” Willis said.

Mitchell and Harkless both had 2 hits to lead West Aurora’s 8-hit attack.

“We’ve had several girls that have gone 3-for-3, 2-for-4, our batting average is not bad at all,” West Aurora coach Sara Nagy said. “We just have to put a couple together. We’re just one hit away.”

The Blackhawks had begun to turn things around with wins last week over DeKalb, Oswego East and Rosary. But after losing twice Saturday and making 4 errors Monday Nagy is looking forward to some practice time.

“We’ve had one practice in two-and-a-half weeks,” Nagy said. “I think that will help us refocus.

“We’re just back on our heels today. We had moved forward and this is kind of a step back for us.

We had the momentum and everything has kind of fallen back a little.”