Jasinski, Glenbard North make solid contact
Alyssa Jasinski has her own definition of a slump — and in her book Glenbard North wasn’t there yet.
“You’re never in a slump until you can’t even touch the ball,” said the Panthers senior, “and we’ve been making contact — just not solid contact.”
No. 6 Glenbard North broke out in a big way Monday, Jasinski homering and freshman Sydney Benz doubling twice in a 6-0 win over No. 12 West Chicago in Carol Stream.
West Chicago (15-8, 8-2 DuPage Valley Conference) dropped into a tie with Naperville Central atop the DVC, with Glenbard North (14-4, 6-4) and Wheaton North two games back.
Glenbard North had scored over 8 runs per game prior to the start of the DVC season but coming into Monday was hitting just .225 in conference games. The Panthers dropped three of their last four games last week but bounced back to score the most runs West Chicago ace Mary Connolly (13-6) has allowed all year.
It was a far cry from the 1-0 one-hitter Connolly threw in their first meeting.
“Today we came out with a purpose swinging the bat,” Panthers coach Josh Sanew said. “We got into a little bit of a funk last week, just settling for making contact. I’m a coach who will never yell at them for being aggressive. We showed that when we hit the ball we’re a tough, tough team.”
Jasinski fell behind in the count leading off the second inning, then belted a two-strike changeup over the fence in center for a 1-0 lead.
It isn’t the first time Glenbard North’s hitters have gone deep off Connolly’s changeup.
“We play them so much that we start to get aware of it,” Jasinski said. “It’s easier to hit when you know it’s coming.”
Bri Harn reached on an error leading off the Panthers’ fourth, and Benz followed with a towering double that one-hopped the fence in center. Jasinski hit a ground single to right field to score Harn, and Lilly Fecho’s opposite-field two-run double to left made it 4-0.
Harn’s bunt single led off the fifth and Benz turned on a pitch and ripped an RBI double into the leftfield corner. Benz, hitting close to .400 this season, has 3 doubles off Connolly in 6 plate appearances.
“No matter who I’m going up against, I have to have the same approach,” Benz said. “Last time Connolly had our number and this time we had hers. Now we’re even.”
West Chicago, shut out for the second time in three days after an eight-game win streak, had opportunities early off Fecho. Leadoff singles in three of the first four innings went for naught.
A runner was picked off third base by Glenbard North catcher Alexis Simone to end the first, a sacrifice bunt was popped up in the second and two runners were left on in the fourth after Rachel Johnson’s leadoff single.
“We haven’t had too many of these,” West Chicago coach Kim Wallner said. “We didn’t execute early and maybe let them off the hook, they jumped on Mary a little bit and it snowballed.”
Fecho (11-4), who took a perfect game into the sixth inning of the teams’ first meeting, struck out four with 3 hits and 3 walks.