Lake Park handles Geneva
Apparently Lake Park’s softball team doesn’t take kindly to losing.
Especially when it gets shut out.
About 24 hours after recording just 2 hits during a 2-0 loss to Glenbard North, the Lancers (7-1, 3-0) made somebody pay in a big way Friday afternoon.
Lake Park put on an offensive fireworks show, bashing 17 base hits — 8 for extra bases — during a 13-3 Upstate Eight Conference triumph over host Geneva (3-3, 1-2).
Led by Shannon Fritsche (4-for-5, 2-run home run, triple), Stephanie Starr (3-for-4, 3 RBI), and Ashlyn Worcester (2-for-4, 3-run home run), the Lancers provided more than enough support for starting pitcher Danielle Jecmen (6-0) and reliever Stephi Sturino.
Jecmen admitted that Thursday’s loss to Glenbard North weighed heavily on the minds of Lancer players as the team bus pulled into Geneva.
“We knew that we needed to be focused just because we don’t like losing,” said Jecmen, who allowed just 1 run and 4 hits through the first 4 innings. “We needed to prove ourselves out there.”
Lake Park squandered an excellent scoring opportunity in the first inning, as Fritsche and Dina Falk singled to open the game and advanced a base on a passed ball before Starr smoked a line drive that Vikings left fielder Madison Keith caught for the first out.
However, Geneva appealed on the play and the plate umpire ruled that the Lancer baserunner tagged up too early to complete an unconventional double play.
That might have made the Lancers a little angrier.
In the second, Lake Park took the lead for good as Jecmen led off with a double and eventually scored on Nicole Tsiodras’ RBI groundout.
The Lancers added 9 more runs over the next 3 innings to seize control.
Starr’s 2-run double highlighted a 3-run fourth, while Jecmen powered a solo home run (her third of the season) over the right-field fence and Worcester launched a 3-run, opposite-field home run as part of a 4-run fifth.
“I’m not sure if there’s another team in the area that can go the other way like we can,” said Lake Park coach Tom Mazzie. “We preach going the other way.
“Some girls who haven’t gotten a lot of playing time stepped up today,” added Mazzie. “My number nine hitter has played one game the entire season and Ashlyn (Worcester) hits a three-run bomb.”
That was more than enough offensive support for Jecmen.
“It was awesome,” said the senior right-hander. “I know that it’s how we can hit. If we keep hitting like we did today, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“We don’t always have the Division 1 player but I think we have a lot of girls who have flown under the radar and who I think people are missing out on,” said Mazzie. “I could take any hitter in my lineup and put them in any spot. They hit the heck out of the ball.”
They certainly made a believer out of Geneva coach Greg Dierks.
“They’re a good team,” said Dierks. “There are no weaknesses. They’re disciplined, they’re hard workers, and they’re skilled. They were driving the ball the other way.”
Freshman pitcher Emily Plocinski (0-2) suffered the loss for the Vikings, who kept the game alive during a 2-run sixth on Plocinski’s RBI double and McKenna Schimmel’s RBI groundout.
“I thought Emily threw a nice game,” said Dierks. “I thought she took a step forward. She was in much more command of her game today than her first outing. She just ran into a buzzsaw.”