Deerfield spoils Hamill's Lakes coaching debut

As he stood in his softball team's dugout following its season-opening, 6-2 loss to visiting Deerfield on Wednesday, first-year Lakes coach Bill Hamill talked about three outs.

Three would-be starters for the Eagles took in the game from the dugout because they haven't been making the grade in the classroom.

"I'm tough on grades," said Hamill, who assisted Tia Martinez last year. "If you're low on grades, you're still going to come out and sit in the cold. They know they need to get them up."

Hamill, who coached Richmond-Burton to a regional championship in his lone season as head coach before coming to Lakes, takes over an Eagles team that might have a tough time making the grade on the field this season, too, because of its youth.

Lakes features six sophomores and a pair of freshman.

Playing a Deerfield team that starts six seniors and had already played three games after going 2-1 in Barrington's Spring Fling, Lakes spotted the visitors a 4-0 lead after two innings and never recovered.

Warriors ace Amy Reed walked seven in a complete-game effort but allowed only 2 hits through six innings.

Sophomore Jessica Quinn reached on an infield single with one out in the seventh and later scored on a throwing error after a single by fellow sophomore Shannon Cooley.

The Eagles actually had the tying run at the plate with two outs, but promising freshman Sarah Braden grounded out with the bases loaded.

Cooley, who led the Eagles offensively by going 2-for-4 with an RBI, pitched all 7 innings in suffering the loss. The second-year ace allowed 10 hits and struck out seven.

Deerfield (3-1) received 2 hits apiece from Chelsea Boyle, Reed, Kiley Hierl, Kelly O'Connell and Taylor Baron. Reed, who stroked a 2-run, two-out double in the second, had the only extra-base hit of the game.

We believe in 'anything you can do,' " Deerfield coach Susan Johnson said. "Offensively, we play short game and we got some longball hitters. We didn't really drive the ball for extra bases today, but I felt like we hit the ball well.

"I thought we adjusted to (Cooley's) changeup. She had a nice change."

Lakes committed 5 errors.

"All the credit to (Deerfield)," Hamill said. "They put the ball in play. We helped them. This should have been a 3-2 or a 2-2 game after we scored that run (in the bottom of the seventh)."