Naperville North puts West Chicago's party on hold
West Chicago came to Pioneer Park on Wednesday poised to celebrate Senior Night and an outright DuPage Valley Conference championship.
Naperville North stole the second part of the show.
The Huskies scored both their runs off stolen bases and ensuing throwing errors, and Emily Dieckmann made it stand in a 2-0 shutout of the host Wildcats.
Defending DVC champion Glenbard North (20-7, 9-4) can share the conference title with West Chicago (24-9, 10-4) by beating Naperville Central today in Carol Stream.
A Naperville North win over West Chicago last year ultimately cost the Wildcats a share of the DVC.
"To do it to them two years in a row is awesome," said Huskies junior Sammy Marshall, who reached base 3 times and stole 2 bases. "Speed is always an asset to a team. It's great that we have so much of it."
Naperville North's running game was held in check in the teams' first meeting, a 3-0 West Chicago win in Naperville. That didn't deter the Huskies.
Marshall beat out a grounder to short to start the top of the third and went to second on Kendall Vassar's bunt single. Marshall took off to steal third and scampered home when the throw sailed high.
In the fifth Steph Tobin dropped a one-out single right on the left-field line in back of third. Tobin stole second and came around to score when the errant throw scooted into center field.
"We're not hitting the ball very well right now," Huskies coach Jerry Kedziora said, "and we're just trying to create something. We figured let's give it a shot and we were fortunate that balls got away when they did."
West Chicago's best chance to score came in the third, when Taylor Dash singled leading off and Taylor Kutilek reached on an error with two outs to put runners at the corners. Izzy Bruce's hard-hit smash was gloved by Marshall at shortstop, who threw to first for the out.
Marshall also made an over-the-shoulder catch in short left with a runner at second and two out in the second.
West Chicago's Mary Connolly hit a high drive leading off the fourth that was caught at the fence.
"We hit the ball right at them and we hit the ball hard. There's nothing you can do," West Chicago coach Emily Johnson said. "It would have been nice to clinch today, but what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. And regionals are coming up."
Dieckmann (10-8)) retired 10 straight batters starting with Bruce's grounder to end the third and allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way. She struck out two.
"That's when Emily's been pitching best, is when we've given her a lead," Kedziora said. "Emily was able to find something. She dug deep today to shut them out."
Naperville North (17-13, 8-6) and Glenbard North are the only teams to beat every team in the DVC this season.
"That's the first time that's happened since I've been here," Kedziora said. "We got a special bunch of girls."