Softball: WW South shuts out Glenbard West for 10th win

A veteran corps has played a big role in Wheaton Warrenville South's fast start this spring, but that's not to say a couple newcomers aren't jumping in with some key contributions.

The Tigers closed the conference tuneup portion of their season with a 5-0 defeat of visiting Glenbard West on Saturday and will take a 10-2 nonconference mark into Monday's scheduled league opener with Geneva.

Senior first baseman Kaitlyn Bresingham led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double, an RBI and one run scored. But equally impressive was sophomore Katie Pierce, who blanked the Hilltoppers on two hits for her second shutout of the spring.

"I think we had good energy throughout," said Bresingham, who drove home Abby Struebing with a two-out single in the Tigers' 3-run fourth. "We came out ready to go and then we just carried that through the game. Katie pitched a really good game, and that kind of bounced off us. We've gotten off to a good start and we're really confident going into conference next."

Pierce is 4-2 while splitting pitching duties with Izzy Fawcett. She worked out of jams in the first two innings and then coasted, finishing with 6 strikeouts and just the 1 walk to Stashia Gregule to start the game. Glenbard West (2-7) had its first two batters reach on a walk and error in the first, but Pierce retired the next three hitters. In the second Cameryn Dutcher had a leadoff double but was stranded at third as the next three hitters went down on strikes.

"I felt really good on the mound," said Pierce, who pitched for the junior varsity as a freshman. "I hit my spots pretty well and was mixing my pitches, and my defense was behind me the entire time."

Pierce is fitting right in with a veteran squad with high expectations for 2019.

"The seniors on this team have really accepted me on the team along with our other sophomore, Maggie Reinhart," the pitcher said. "It's like a family. We're all very close. It's a great atmosphere."

Wheaton Warrenville South opened the scoring with two runs in the second after Carly Briggs led off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Reinhart singled and came around on a basehit by No. 9 hitter Sara Michalowski

Hilltoppers pitcher Mallory Small threw the ball well but just didn't get the run support. She was aided by some stellar defense including hit-robbing grabs by Jessica Mills in right and Allison Ciero at second base.

"We left runners on base. It's more of that timely hitting (that we needed)," Hilltoppers coach Mary McGrane said. "But that's a little about of our youth. We get a little overexcited instead of just being relaxed in the box."

Tigers coach Jeff Pawlak has no complaints so far this spring with how his team has performed.

"We have seven returners from last year, so a lot of senior leadership," he said. "But it's fun to watch the young ones get their confidence. The older ones they know what to do."