Lake Park getting on a roll
As his young team got off to a shaky start this season foreign to Lake Park standards, Tom Mazzie didn’t push the panic button.
“I told them all, ‘Don’t worry, I know what we have here,’” said the Lancers coach. “‘We’re going to go on a run at some point.’”
Mazzie’s words proved prophetic, even if he didn’t see it coming this fast.
Since a 2-6 start against a brutal early schedule, Lake Park (14-8) reeled off 12 wins over 13 games before a loss to Bartlett Wednesday. The schedule has lightened up, but the Lancers do own wins against Elgin, Geneva and Batavia, the latter two on the road.
Lake Park lost six players off last year’s team that are playing college ball now, but the offense hasn’t skipped a beat.
Junior Tara Palandri is hitting .433 with 17 runs scored and 10 stolen bases through 20 games, sophomore leadoff hitter Shannon Fritsche .397 with 7 doubles and 17 runs scored, senior Sarah Koch .385 and sophomore Kelly O’Neill .366.
“The first eight games I think we had eight different lineups. Nobody knew their role or what to expect,” Mazzie said, “but we’ve had some girls step up. The luxury of batting (senior Vanessa) Wegner sixth or seventh, it shows how potent this lineup is.”
Senior pitcher Lisa Baumgart had all of 10 varsity innings under her belt before this year, but she has settled in after a rough season opener against Lockport.
“She is the definition of a pitcher — she knows how to get people out,” Mazzie said. “She can hit the corners and get people out in a number of ways.”
Perhaps the epitome of Lake Park’s recent run came at Batavia last Friday, when the Lancers erased an early 2-0 deficit to win 4-2.
“We haven’t rolled anybody, but there hasn’t been any quit,” Mazzie said. “Early in the season when we got down our dugout was stone silent. Now from the start of the game everybody is supporting each other, confident and vocal — a totally different team.”
No dull moment in DVC:Are those sunflower seeds or antacids DuPage Valley Conference softball coaches are chewing on this spring? Early returns might suggest the latter.Of the first 24 DVC games, eight were decided in the winning team#146;s last at-bat, four of those in extra innings. Besides those eight, there were four more one-run games.Naperville Central had three straight DVC games won in the winning team#146;s last at-bat, the Redhawks 2-1 in those games. Tuesday at Wheaton North the Redhawks lost their lead in the bottom of the sixth, only to come back with 3 in the seventh to win 4-2.#147;As one of my former assistants told me on Tuesday, #145;That#146;s why you have gray hair, buddy,#146;#148; Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. #147;It#146;s exciting to watch, but for a coach it#146;s pretty nerve-wracking.#148;The axiom that there #147;are no easy games#148; in the DVC is holding true. Glenbard East beat Wheaton North on a 3-run walkoff homer Monday for its second conference win, and the Falcons#146; first DVC loss. Even 0-7 West Aurora lost by just 1 run to Naperville Central and Glenbard North.Nine of Naperville Central#146;s 19 games this season have been decided by 1 run; the Redhawks are 6-3 in those, all three of the losses coming in the game#146;s last at bat.#147;In softball as a coach sometimes you feel like a glorified spectator with a good seat,#148; Nussbaum said. #147;When you#146;re at bat and the other pitcher has the ball you feel kind of defenseless. It#146;s on the instincts of your players. We have a lot of veteran players that have been in pressure situations. Hopefully, that is helpful.#148;Raiders swinging big sticks:Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda, long an advocate of little ball, is finding it less necessary this spring.The Raiders (13-2) are scoring right at 10 runs per game, their fewest output 5 runs. And that was against West Chicago#146;s Mary Connolly, the most runs the DePaul recruit has allowed this year.Glenbard South has done it while putting down just 9 sacrifice bunts.#147;They#146;re kind of free swingers,#148; Fonda said. #147;The old days of manufacturing runs is kind of gone for me.#148;Six Raiders are hitting .350 or better, including Danielle Chitkowski (.455), Hannah Davey (.417), Jenny Wittenberg (.390), Olivia Ramirez (.386), Brianna Meath (.367) and Jackie Wrona (.341).Leading the charge is sophomore cleanup hitter Jane Trzaska, hitting a cool .595 and tied for the team lead in runs batted in.#147;Jane#146;s a tremendous hitter,#148; Fonda said. #147;As a freshman she had her ups and downs, but she#146;s settled in. She#146;s composed at the plate. She#146;s putting the ball in play and good things are happening.#148;