Batavia cruises in regional opener

The advice Batavia softball coach Ashley Szymski used for the Bulldogs' regional opener Monday also will work for their next game - even though they will be entering in the opposite role.

No. 14 seed Batavia scored 9 runs in the second inning of a 12-1, 5-inning win over No. 19 Addison Trail on Monday at Batavia.

"I was nervous, Szymski said. "I told the girls that any team can beat any team any given day. When you come in as the higher seed you are expected to win. We were the team that had something to lose."

With the win, Batavia (18-19) now gets a chance to be the team without any pressure when the Bulldogs play third-seed West Chicago at 4:30 p.m. today on the Wildcats home field in the regional semifinals.

Batavia lost a doubleheader to West Chicago earlier this season but had a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning in a game Wildcats ace Mary Connolly entered in the sixth.

"Any team can beat any team on any given day," Szymski said. "We know them, they know us. It will be who makes the least amount of mistakes. I'm confident we will go out and play well."

The Bulldogs sure did that Monday despite falling in a 1-0 hole after the first inning. Winning pitcher Katie Coleman allowed a leadoff double that led to the Blazers' only run, then shut the door over the final four innings. She allowed 5 hits and struck out seven.

"She really likes to go after batters," Szymski said. "Sometimes she gives too good of pitches on 0-2 counts but that is just her wanting to be tough and go get the batter."

Designated player Brooke Nelson led Batavia's 13-hit attack going 3 for 3. Alyssa Bleidorn doubled and Katie Neubauer tripled.

The Bulldogs' big rally in the second inning started with a string of four straight hits, then a pair of errors, then another hit. Junior catcher Emily Dorjath (2-for-2) hit a line drive single to left and came around to score on a Meghan Fabian single, then Dorjath followed with another single later in the inning to score another run. The Bulldogs tallied 7 hits in the inning.

Batavia added 2 more runs in the third to take an 11-1 lead and set up the five-inning win.

"We just hit the ball really well," said Szymski, who was pleased with the way her team hit to the right side. "That second inning we capitalized."