Softball: Beatus, Jimenez lead West Aurora past Bartlett
Pitching and power.
West Aurora's softball team unleashed plenty of both during Thursday's 4-0 Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division victory over Bartlett in Aurora.
Senior Cara Jimenez belted 3 home runs in as many at-bats while teammate Carley Frauenhoff added a solo blast of her own to power the Blackhawks (19-1, 12-0) to their 11th consecutive win.
Meanwhile, junior pitcher Hannah Beatus (10-1) tossed a masterful 5-hit shutout, matching her previous career high with 18 strikeouts.
"She just brought it today," Blackhawks coach Randy Hayslett said of his right-handed ace. "She may be a little bit smaller but she throws hard. She was just on.
"That's the way she has been throwing. Her last three games are now 15 strikeouts, 15 strikeouts and 18 strikeouts - and basically nothing but goose eggs."
Jimenez began her day by smacking a line drive home run over the fence in straightaway center to give West Aurora a 1-0 lead.
In the third, she hit her second home run of the day - a high fly ball that barely eluded Hawks right fielder Sydney Quagliano to extend the lead to 2-0.
Two innings later, Jimenez launched a towering solo blast into the parking lot in right-center for a 3-0 lead.
"I was just really relaxed today," said Jimenez. "She (Bartlett pitcher Danielle Kirby) made some good pitches. I fouled some off on my first at-bat."
"That's what Cara is capable of," said Hayslett. "That's five home runs in her last six at-bats. Her forte is line drives to the right-center gap and line drives off the fence. She has such a level swing; she hits rocket line drives.
"That's our all-time home run leader, our all-time RBI leader, our all-time OPS leader and (batting) average leader."
Beatus didn't need a lot of offensive support.
The first batted ball that went for an out against her capped the fifth inning, as second baseman Sophia Delgado caught a soft popup.
Beatus struck out the side in each of the first 4 innings, and then recorded 3 more strikeouts in the sixth to up her total to 17.
After she fanned the leadoff batter in the seventh, Jimenez fielded a bunt for the second out and an error on another bunt attempt landed a runner on first with 2 out.
Beatus retired the final out on a grounder to Delgado.
"It's pretty frustrating that they (Hawks) started bunting at the end but hey, what can you do?" said Beatus. "It was a good all-around game."
"During Hannah's tenure here, when we score four or more runs, we're undefeated," said Hayslett. "When we score three or more, I think we've lost once or twice."
Bartlett (18-8, 10-3) stranded 7 runners, including a pair in scoring position.
"She's very good," Hawks coach Jim Wolfsmith said of Beatus. "She was hitting the corners and I don't think we adjusted very well. When you go up against a pitcher like this, you have to really focus and bear down, make contact and put the ball in play."
The two teams will meet again May 11 in Bartlett.