Geneva surprises Glenbard North again
The Ruitenberg family sure knows how to write a fairy-tale story - from the first chapter to the final one.
Of course if you ask Glenbard North it would read like a horror story.
Back when Kelsey Ruitenberg was a freshman in 2003, Geneva knocked off Glenbard North 4-3 in a thriller that came down to an out at the fence on the final batter. The Vikings were a No. 12 seed that year and the Panthers No. 1.
Fast forward to 2010 when not only is Kelsey long graduated but her sister Kristyn is now a senior. The Vikings again entered as big underdogs - a No. 12 seed to Glenbard North's No. 5 - and again pulled the surprise.
Ruitenberg and her error-free defense held the Panthers to 4 hits in a 4-1 Geneva victory Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 4A Geneva regional. The Vikings (20-16) will play No. 4 seed Lake Park on Saturday for the championship looking for their first title since 2005.
Ruitenberg walked three and struck out two in the complete game effort.
"The defense played an amazing game," said Ruitenberg. "I think we were just calm and ready to go. Everyone played so well. It's just a great win."
The win continues the suprises in the St. Charles North sectional that included No. 6 Bartlett and the big stunner No. 2 St. Charles North losing Tuesday.
Geneva expected more of a slugfest and the offense did manage 8 hits. But the story was in the circle and the defense behind her.
"I knew we were good enough to win," Geneva coach Greg Dierks said. "I thought we have to beat them 6-4 or 8-6 or something. I would never have guessed the score as it went.
"We were prepared to mix up our pitching in the middle of the game but Kristyn kept them off-balance."
The game was delayed about an hour by lightning. After neither team scored in the first, Geneva pushed across two in the second.
Elena Wright singled and moved to second on Kirsten Searcy's bunt. Taylor Medernach smashed a ball that took a bad hop and went for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead. Medernach then came home on the back half of a double steal for a 2-0 lead.
Glenbard North starter Lilly Fecho didn't allow another run until a controversial seventh inning. She finished with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Medernach led off the seventh with a double, Geneva's lone extra-base hit. With two outs and still at second, Medernach was tagged out rounding third base on Bridget Weitzel's infield single.
Umpires ruled Medernach's path was obstructed on the play, keeping the inning alive for Dori Rogers to single and drive home two insurance runs.
Ruitenberg then retired the Panthers in order in the seventh.
"The insurance runs certainly helped but the fact nobody scored it (the obstruction call) becomes a non-issue," said Dierks, who said the umpire said the fielder "forced her path" - a call Glenbard North coach Josh Sanew disagreed with.
The Panthers' only run came on a towering home run by Jenny Nelson in the fourth inning.
When Nelson came to the plate again in the fifth with two on and two outs, Geneva pitched around her. The move paid off when center fielder Weitzel got a great break and snagged Alyssa Jasinski's liner that looked headed for the right field gap.
"She ran through that exactly like she was supposed to," Ruitenberg said. "She did a great job on that."
Ironically, the Vikings now play the same team they did after their upset of Glenbard North back in 2003 - Lake Park. The Lancers won that meeting.
"They (Lake Park) looked great (Tuesday) hitting the ball all over the park," Dierks said. "The formula in my head is we might get them 8-6 but if we play as well as we did today we might be able to hold them down."
"We book-ended the eight years," Dierks continued. "For us it (the 2003 win over Glenbard North) is a very fond memory but this is another one."