Lack leads Waubonsie Valley attack
Waubonsie Valley’s softball team had a lot on its plate Monday.
When Amanda Lack steps to the plate, though, she brings a singular focus. It’s hard to argue with the results.
The Warriors’ sophomore leadoff hitter went 3-for-4 with a walk, her 2-run double in the fifth inning giving the No. 13 Warriors the lead for good in a 6-4 win over No. 15 Neuqua Valley in Aurora.
“I like to visualize success, I like to see myself getting a hit and getting on base and doing good things for my team,” said Lack, hitting well over .400 on the year. “I’m glad that I’ve been able to help my team.”
Monday was the first day of the Valley schools’ three-day Strike Out Cancer event, and it went off despite rain that morning and threatening skies throughout. It also was a big game for both teams, with Waubonsie (16-5, 8-2 Upstate Eight Valley) keeping within 2 games in the loss column of UEC Valley leader Bartlett, tied with Neuqua and Lake Park. The see-saw affair was tied three times, but Waubonsie never trailed after the first inning.
“Every inning we matched them run for run, and my girls knew that that was important,” Waubonsie coach Alyson Kelley said. “We had so much going on today and I kept stressing over and over even with so much going on and all this outside noise, you have to stay focused on winning. They did a really nice job blocking it all out.”
Neuqua (16-8, 9-2) scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth to tie it 3-3, but Waubonsie batted around in the bottom half to take charge of things. With two outs Haylie Wensel walked and Jessica Sarch hit a two-strike bloop single. That brought up Lack, who drilled a double to right field on a full count to make it 5-3. Fellow sophomore Melaina Koulos followed with a double into the right field corner, scoring Lack.
“With Lack there are no mental games at all,” Kelley said. “She’s there to hit, and that’s all. That’s one of the best things you could ask for out of a softball player. She’s just strictly softball.”
Youth has served Waubonsie well. Earlier in the game sophomore Meghan Grannan homered, and freshman pitcher Shannon Hohman (12-3) minimized Neuqua’s damage throughout the game, striking out five.
“I got young kids leading the way,” Kelley said. “That’s what we need.”
Grannan’s homer gave Waubonsie a 2-1 lead in the second, but Hannigan’s RBI single in the fourth for Neuqua tied it 2-2. Katie Benson singled in Lack in the bottom half, but Neuqua knotted it 3-3 in the fifth.
Kat Widup was 3-for-4 with a run scored and losing pitcher Jamie O’Brien 2-for-4 for Neuqua, which hosts Bartlett today.
“Waubonsie had one big inning where they were on Jamie. They just outhit us today and were very aggressive in the batter’s box,” Neuqua coach Melissa Wilson said. “Games like today are tough games to lose but I am not disappointed in how we played. If we play like this I feel like we can beat anyone.”