Geneva, West Aurora can't break tie

Annika Radabaugh was looking to cap her day in style.

The Geneva sophomore hit a hard single up the middle against West Aurora pitcher Hannah Beatus to tie the schools' Upstate Eight Conference softball game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But Beatus returned the favor in the bottom of the ninth, stranding Geneva leadoff batter Anna Geary at second base by catching Radabaugh looking.

The game was suspended - with an undetermined makeup date - 3-3 due to darkness Tuesday evening in Geneva.

"The game was destined to be tied," West Aurora coach Randy Haslett said.

The Blackhawks (3-2) were one out from victory, leading 3-2 after Kallie Rundle laced a one-out single to the center-field fence to score Kendall Podschwelt in the fifth.

But Sarah Baurer and Geary had back-to-back infield singles with one out in the seventh for Geneva.

Beatus' seventh of nine eventual strikeouts meant Geneva (3-2) had potentially one chance left.

"We were definitely on the ropes," Geneva coach Greg Dierks said.

But Radabaugh had a hard one-hopper bounce to the right of second base for the equalizer.

"I felt confident enough that I was going to get a hit," Radabaugh said. "I wasn't trying to go anywhere. I'm more of a see-ball, hit-ball player."

Beatus and Geneva pitcher Emily Plocinski both went the entire way.

Plocinski retiring the first eight batters she saw was ancient history two-plus hours later.

West Aurora reversed its 1-0 deficit - which Geneva forged with a first-inning Kaitlyn Plocinski sacrifice fly - in its half of the fifth.

Corey McCready earned her second straight free pass with two outs and scored all the way from first when Taylor Podschwelt ripped a laser to the farthest reaches of right-center.

The senior moved into third on the late throw home and scored when the tardy relay was misplayed.

But the Blackhawks' only error of the game would be a game-changer in the Vikings' half.

Rylie Porretto scored on consecutive two-out singles by Radabaugh and Kaitlyn Plocinski after reaching on a booted grounder.

West Aurora had its second lead in the sixth when McCreedy rifled a ball so hard over the Vikings' center fielder that she was thrown out trying to stretch the rope into a double.

"I was hoping for a base hit, anything to the right side to let the runner on second score," McCreedy said. "I didn't realize where the ball was (on the relay to second)."

"It was a pretty well-played game on both sides," Dierks said. "I thought the pitchers did a nice job out there. There weren't a whole lot of opportunities."