Cary-Grove’s Stanley steps up

With senior standout Lindsay Efflandt out with a facial injury, Lauren Stanley realizes she has to step up for the Cary-Grove softball team.

Stanley, who struck out 11 with 1 walk, limited Crystal Lake South to 1 run on 4 hits in pitching the Trojans to a 2-1 win over the Gators in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division action in Crystal Lake Saturday.

“We were all shaken about what happened to Lindsay,” said Stanley, a junior. “I was anxious and excited to pitch today. I just wanted to go out and pitch well.”

Cary-Grove coach Tammy Olson was impressed with Stanley’s effort.

“Lauren really stepped up and pitched great,” said Olson. “All her pitches were working and she was tough when she had to be.”

Cary-Grove (13-1, 4-0) was finally able to get to South sophomore pitcher Hailee Massie in the fifth inning. The Trojans, who were no-hit by Massie for 4 innings, produced their first hit of the game as freshman Erin Olson led off the fifth with a single. One out later, Beata Krembuszewski singled to move Olson to third. The Trojans scored the first run of the game on an RBI double from Lisa Semro which moved to Krembuszewksi to third. The next hitter, Amy Clemment, laid down a perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt to score Krembuszewksi and give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.

South (9-4, 1-3) finally was able to dent the scoreboard against Stanley with a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Massie to cut the Trojans’ deficit to 2-1.

The Cary-Grove junior was tough in the seventh retiring the Gators in order with the last out coming on a strikeout.

Massie, the hard-luck loser, struck out 5 without allowing a walk.

“Hailee pitched a great game,” said South coach Scott Busam. “She was lights out. She has pitched well all season long. Our offense is an embarrassment right now. Pitchers in the Fox Valley Conference are going to throw strikes. We sit up at the plate and look at pitches. We sit up at the plate and look at third strikes. It is very frustrating to watch. We are a young sophomore-dominated team and they need to learn to be more aggressive at the plate.”

Massie led the Gators offensively with 2 hits and am RBI..

Olson said there is no current timetable for the return, or not, of Efflandt.

“Lindsay still has a lot of broken bones,” said Olson. “We don’t know when she will come back.”