Softball: Bower tosses perfect game, homers vs. Dundee-Crown
Sophomore Bri Bower made sure defending champion Huntley got off to a perfect start in Fox Valley Conference play Monday - both in the circle and at the plate.
Bower tossed her second perfect game of the season, and she also started the scoring in the third inning by hitting a home run in a 10-0 victory over Dundee-Crown in six innings in Huntley.
After closing out Huntley's games last year for starter Tiffany Giese, Bower is stepping right into the No. 1 role. She also threw a perfect game earlier this season against Belvidere North.
"I have to step up and do my job in the circle like she (Giese did," Bower said. "Everything was working today."
Bower struck out the first five batters she faced until Megan Thompson hit a soft liner to second. The Chargers (2-5, 0-1) were constantly swinging late against Bower, who Red Raiders coach Mark Petryniec said was clocked at 64 miles per hour Monday.
Bower also struck out the side in the third and fifth innings before all three batters in the sixth grounded out. She finished with 12 strikeouts.
"She brought it today," Petryniec said. "Her velocity was up there today. She's got an off-speed pitch too, keeping hitters off-balance."
Huntley (10-3, 1-0) scored two more runs in the third after Bower's homer. Victoria Schulte doubled, the first of her 3 hits, and came home on Kendra Mitchell's slap single to third base. Mitchell later scored on a passed ball.
Dundee-Crown starter Caleigh Gertz kept her team within 3-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Huntley plated four. Pinch hitter Aubrey McFadden provided the big blow with a 2-run single.
Sofia Tenuta smashed a 2-run home run in the sixth. The Red Raiders ended the game on the only error of the game when the Chargers threw wild down the right field line trying to throw out Reese Hunkins on a bunt. Pinch-runner Jori Heard scored the 10th run on the play.
Tenuta and Schulte both had 3 hits and Mitchell, Grace Kutz and Hunkins delivered 2.
"Vicki had a nice day, Sof had a nice day," Petryniec said. "Pretty much everybody had at least one quality at-bat and that's what we're looking for. We couldn't be more pleased with the results today especially starting conference, new season, it's a good start. In the Fox Valley every day is going to be a grind. We're going to see everybody's best."
Gertz didn't strike out a batter but battled against a talented Huntley lineup as the Chargers adjust to life without graduated ace Sydney Ruggles.
"Caleigh did a good job today," Chargers coach Tracy Beatty said. "It's definitely a different look for us (without Ruggles) but we've totally embraced it and we're just working on getting better every single day. Great group of kids.
"Obviously Huntley is an all-around great team. You hope you come and give them your best shot when you come to this field. The speed (of Bower) was a battle for us. We came off this weekend with a lot slower pitching. I think the adjustment time was a little difficult. I feel some of the contact that we made that went foul if we could have got around we could have put it a little more in play. Good pitcher."