Pociejewski, Maine West are in their element

After not living up to her own high standards last week at the Barrington Softball Spring Fling, Kayla Pociejewski was itching to get back into action on Monday.

"I didn't have my right timing at Barrington," said the Maine West junior catcher. "We've had some really good practices since then and did some real intense hitting."

Pociejewski (3-for-4, 2 RBI) carried that intensity into Monday's home opener.

The Warriors' leading home run hitter in 2014 belted her first one this spring and just missed the cycle by a double as West topped visiting Rolling Meadows 14-2 in five innings.

"I'd have bought her a bicycle if she'd had hit for the cycle," joked first-year West coach Mike McGovern, after winning his first game in Des Plaines.

"All I can do is thank for Mother Nature for giving us the opportunity to get this game in (after the Warriors were postponed a few times last week). I want to get on her good side."

Pociejewski put the ball on the other side of the right-center field fence with her leadoff homer in the fourth inning that made it 8-0.

Pociejewski, who also starts for the Warriors basketball team, was just glad to be playing.

"I thought it was going to rain," Pociejewski said. "We just wanted to play. We were so eager to get outside."

The Warriors (2-2) showed that right away as their first six batters reached base.

Alyssa Pegoraro, Grace Feldkamp, Nicole Byerly, Pociejewski (triple), Annemarie Weber and Allison Pearson all reached base to trigger a 5-run first for the Warriors.

That proved to be plenty for pitcher Feldkamp (2-2), a sophomore right-hander who threw a 6-hitter with 8 strikeouts, including four in the final two innings when a light rain fell.

"When it's drizzling, the ball becomes wet," McGovern said. "But she did a nice job. She got out of a few jams."

The Mustangs had 4 of their 6 hits in the top of the fifth.

Junior second baseman Megan King had back-to-back doubles in the fourth and fifth innings. Teammate Lauren Hattory also had a pair of hits in her last two at-bats for the visitors while Elizabeth Elkins and Paige Connor each had one.

"It was one of those days where they (Maine West) played well and we made way too many mistakes," said Mustangs coach Tony Wolanski. "We've just go to keep working hard and trying to improve. My job is to get the girls to focus as a team."

The Warriors did the job with their bats, collecting 16 hits, In addition to Pociejewski, who reached base in all four of her at-bats, other multiple hitters for West were Pearson (3-for-3), Pegoraro (2-for-2), Feldkamp (2-for-4) Byerly (2-for-4), Weber (2-for-2) and Kati Roycroft (2-for-3).