Hersey happy with better consistency

After an exciting extra-inning win at Wheeling the night before, Hersey's softball team was trying for its first back-to-back conference wins of the season on Thursday in Arlington Heights.

“We wanted to carry the momentum over from that Wheeling game,” said Huskies pitcher Sarah Platt, who went the final 7 innings on Wednesday to get the win. “I was just focusing on getting outs.”

There were no outs in the top of the seventh and visiting Palatine, trailing 4-2, had the tying runs on first (Lauren Logan) and second base (Courtney English).

But Platt got three straight groundouts, one to second baseman Val Burke and the other two back to the mound, to escape the jam and give the Huskies a 4-2 triumph in the MSL crossover.

“I just trusted my defense,” said Platt, who also helped with her bat by going 1-for-1 and reaching base three times.

Carrying the biggest bat for Hersey (11-11, 3-6) was senior third baseman Melissa Cecala, who went 2-for-3 with the RBI double that gave the Huskies a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Moments later, Burke came home on a wild pitch for the 4-2 lead.

Cecala also singled and scored on an error in the second inning to give Hersey a 2-1 lead.

“I've been trying to keep my hands back and wait for the ball,” Cecala said. “As a team, we are picking things up. We are starting to string hits together.”

Hersey coach Molly Freeman saw Cecala's practice time pay off.

“Melissa has really fast hands and that makes it hard to stay back on the ball,” Freeman said. “She has been working on that it's nice to see someone work hard on something and then have it pay off.”

Freeman added that Platt has been working hard on her off-speed pitches and consistency in the strike zone.

“Sarah has taken it upon herself to do that,” Freeman said. “And I am really proud of her.”

Platt (5-3) threw a 6-hitter with 4 strikeouts.

“I just trusted my defense,” she said. “Offensively, we've been connecting and scoring some runs.”

Shortstop Alysia Zaucha, catcher Angela Schmiederer (1-for-3), Burke and Cecala scored the Huskies' 4 runs while teammate Gina Fasolo also had a hit.

Palatine (11-12, 4-5) tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning won a two-out single by right fielder Grace Rohrwasser (2-for-2).

Rohrwasser also threw a perfect strike from right field to third baseman Kaileigh Moertl to get a runner trying to go from first to third.

Pirates starting pitcher Megan Hedstrom (8-10) reached on an error to score Rohrwasser, who went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Catcher Logan, who threw out a runner trying to steak third in the sixth inning, Tori Walzak, English and Jamie Haze also had hits for the Pirates.

Schmiederer, the Huskies catcher, also threw out a runner trying to steal third in the third inning.

“We are certainly not perfect,” Freeman said. “But we are finding ways to win. Being headed toward the back half of the conference schedule, that is what you want to be doing.

“And we hope to have Haley (Henriksen, senior shortstop and one of team's top hitters) back by Monday.”

Henriksen injured her knee in the Huskies' second game of the season at Barrington. She hit a homer in her last at-bat.