Wyatt, Glenbard West won’t be fenced in
Bri Wyatt had some back spasms, a little whiplash in the neck and a slight headache.
Most important to her, she caught the ball.
Glenbard West’s center fielder made a specactular diving catch, crashing through the outfield fence, for the final out of an 11-4 win over Waubonsie Valley in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday in Glen Ellyn.
The Hilltoppers took Game 1 8-2.
Wyatt’s catch was hardly a game-saver, but even up 7 runs the long, fluid senior doesn’t know any other speed than all-out.
“I’m really aggressive as an outfielder and I want to do whatever I can for our pitcher,” Wyatt said. “If that means running through fences then I’m going to do it. I actually have hit so many fences in my career. Kind of common for me.”
Wyatt earlier made a shoestring catch in short center.
“She’s one of those kids who’s going to go hard all the time,” Glenbard West coach Mary McGrane said. “That’s what we love.”
Prior to Wyatt’s catch, it was the Hilltoppers bats that were the story. Glenbard West pounded out 13 hits in Game 1 and 16 more in the second game.
Wyatt had 4 hits, 2 runs batted in and 3 runs scored, Taylor Steinhilber 5 hits, 4 RBI and scored 2 runs, Jacklyn Tyburk 4 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI, Kelly Borneman 3 hits and 3 RBI, Dayle Comerford 4 hits and 2 runs scored and Rachel Hitzemann 3 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI — all of hers in Game 1.
“I would definitely say 1 through 9, our lineup is a little bit stronger this year,” McGrane said.
Two days after no-hitting West Chicago, Steinhilber showed she can beat teams just as easily with her bat.
“I’m producing a lot more this year, taking a few more hitting lessons here and there,” Steinhilber said. “It’s starting to shine through.”
Steinhilber (3-1) also got the win in Game 1, scattering 6 hits with 4 strikeouts. In the fifth inning, she walked in a run to make it 6-2 but got a called third strike to escape further damage.
“I’ve always been one of those pitchers that gets myself out of situations,” Steinhilber said. “Bases loaded, two outs, doesn’t really faze me that much anymore.”
Glenbard West (6-1), which hovered around .500 much of last year, has won five straight since a loss to Lockport.
“Our stats from last year didn’t show what we were like as a team. We had so much potential, and we just didn’t produce,” Wyatt said. “This year we’re looking to change that.”
A young Waubonsie Valley team was missing one of its big bats, sophomore shortstop Amanda Minihan day-to-day with a concussion suffered in practice.
Sophomore third baseman Erin Hohman had 3 hits in the doubleheader, Jessica Sarch 4 hits and Jackie Kreiner went 2-for-3 in Game 2 with a solo homer. The Warriors (4-5) dug a 6-1 after four innings in Game 1 and spotted Glenbard West a 4-0 lead after an inning in Game 2 but didn’t quit in either.
“This is one of the first times that someone’s really jumped on us right away, which was kind of unexpected,” first-year Warriors coach Aly Kelley said. “The good thing is the girls are learning from their mistakes. We’re young. We’ll get there.”