St. Charles North overcomes errors, S. Elgin

It is safe to say Amanda Ciran found herself in a situation never experienced in her first six starts of the softball season.

St. Charles North committed two errors in their first nine games of the season, but three defensive miscues in the sixth inning had South Elgin smelling blood.

But the North Stars’ ace was up to the task with the Storm having the tying runners in scoring position.

Ciran had back-to-back strikeouts, the first with a devastating changeup and the latter caught looking, to help the North Stars extend their winning streak to nine games.

With their 3-1 Upstate Eight Conference crossover victory over the Storm, the North Stars denied South Elgin its eighth straight win.

“I love that changeup,” Ciran said. “It’s my favorite pitch. I hate it as a batter, but love it as a pitcher.”

Leading 3-0 heading into the sixth, St. Charles North (10-1, 4-0) had its bedrock defense implode with three fielding errors in a four-batter span.

Alexandra Hansen scored on a pair of two-base throwing errors, and Alyssa Buddle and Shannon Conway were at third and second, respectively, after a dropped fly in the outfield.

But Ciran (7-0) was determined not to let the North Stars’ uncharacteristic defensive lapses alter the game.

“I just try to keep those runners on the basepaths,” said Ciran, who allowed only 2 hits while fanning 11 against a lone walk and a pair of hit-batsmen. “I wanted to come back and help my defense.”

“Real uncharacteristic,” North Stars coach Tom Poulin said of the North Stars’ sixth-inning errors. “We do a good job of picking each other up.”

With South Elgin (9-4, 4-1) looking for at least a pair in the seventh, Natalie Capone made a play the North Stars more customarily expect.

Taylor Rees’ single began the Storm seventh, and one batter later Katelyn Stonecipher lashed a liner headed for left field.

But Capone darted quickly to her right, stabbing the drive with a sprawling single motion.

“It was one of those in-betweeners,” Capone said. “It was perfect timing, I guess.”

Ciran ended the game one batter later with the last of her double-digit strikeouts.

“If they make mistakes like that, you have to take advantage of them,” South Elgin coach Jason Schaal said. “We left nine runners on base in a seven-inning game and lost by two. We weren’t able to get that one hit.”

Ashley Seering and Ciran singled to open the North Stars’ second inning; Seering and pinch-runner Sabrina Rabin both scored on a Capone groundout when the Storm catcher failed to hold onto the ensuing throw from first.

Seering had a one-out, bases-loaded groundout in the third to conclude the North Stars’ scoring.

South Elgin starter Sam Bolin fell to 8-3 with the loss.