Steady as she goes: Seamon, Antioch cruise

The way Samie Seamon has been socking the softball lately suggests she shouldn't change anything regarding her game preparation.

And, yet, she did Thursday.

So as Antioch traveled south to Stevenson for what was considered a nonconference game between the perennial North Suburban Conference powers, Seamon chose not to be her usual, self-described, "ridiculously crazy" self on the bus.

"I was quiet today," the Sequoits senior said. "I was just going over in my head what I thought I should do. Not dropping my (right) shoulder was a big thing for me."

Seamon swung level. She smashed 2 triples that likely would have been homers in most parks.

Call that power display "ridiculously crazy" for a girl who stands "5 feet 21/4," she says.

Her booming triple to left-center to start the game got Antioch's offense going, and the Sequoits rarely relented in an 8-1 win.

Antioch (11-4) scored 3 runs in the first inning off ace Allie Micucci of Stevenson (8-9), as its first three hitters - Seamon, Jessie Liszka and Olivia Duehr - all hit safely. Liszka singled home Seamon, Duehr tripled home Liszka, and Allie Anttila knocked in Duehr with a sacrifice fly.

With two away, Amber Mysliwiec ripped a single for the fourth hit of the inning.

"I think it was good for us to come out and face a good pitcher and in the first inning jump on her," Antioch coach Jeff Tylka said. "We've had a tendency to wait a little bit."

Seamon, who had homers in three consecutive at-bats against Addison Trail in one of Antioch's four games last Saturday, smoked a triple to nearly the same spot as her first-inning triple in the fifth.

This time her long hit scored Bailan Reynolds (infield single) to stretch the Sequoits' lead to 4-1. Liszka followed with her second RBI single, and Mysliwiec's sacrifice fly capped another 3-run inning.

"They were probably one of the better hitting teams we've seen this year," Patriots coach Larry Friedrichs said. "Once they realized they were going to be seeing a first pitch somewhere around the (strike) zone, they were pretty aggressive."

In the seventh, Antioch got an RBI double from Mysliwiec and a run-scoring single from Cat Dinklenburg.

Seamon, Duehr, Mysliwiec and Dinklenburg all finished 2-for-3, while Liszka went 2-for-4. The Sequoits also stole 4 bases.

Ever since Tylka moved her back to her customary spot at the top of the order, after a short stint as the team's cleanup hitter, Seamon has been pounding the ball.

"I love hitting leadoff," the center fielder said. "It's definitely a lot different hitting fourth. You got a lot more to do, I feel."

While Antioch boasts three Division I players in Anttila (Georgetown signee), Duehr (Northwestern commit) and Lauren Moore (Loyola signee), Tylka thinks big schools should be looking at Seamon, too.

"She's as talented as the other three," Tylka said.

The talented Duehr pitched a complete-game 4-hitter, striking out eight and walking one.

Micucci ripped a double, while Genny Duffy, Alyssa Vechiola (bunt) and birthday-girl Jordan Willis had Stevenson's other hits.

Duffy sandwiched a fourth-inning RBI single with 2 strikeouts.

"She places the ball really well," Duffy said of Duehr. "I'm not a fan of the inside pitch, and she picked up on that pretty quickly."