Softball: Crystal Lake South clinches Fox Valley championship
Crystal Lake South finished off the Fox Valley Conference championship in unusual fashion Saturday.
The Gators (27-1, 14-1) started the morning at Dundee-Crown where they won 10-0.
They then headed west to Hampshire and defeated the Whip-Purs, 14-10.
Now their only remaining conference game is at defending champion Huntley on Tuesday. But even if they lose, Huntley has three conference losses and can't catch the Gators.
It was a conference title a long time coming for Crystal Lake South who last shared the FVC in 2007 with Jacobs. Their last outright conference championship came in 1986.
No wonder there were so many photos and smiles and even some tears following the second game Saturday.
"It was emotional and we were really excited," Gators coach Scott Busam said. "It was great to get that monkey off South's back. It's been too long. The Fox Valley is just a tough conference to win even when you have a good team. It's a huge accomplishment for the girls."
Both games were makeups. The Gators are running out of days to get the games in so scheduled the unique split road doubleheader.
"I didn't make the decision to do it today until I talked to the captains (Christina Toniolo and Skylar Olsen)," Busam said. "They were onboard. It was unusual. It ended up being a meat grinder at the end."
Alyssa Niketopoulos helped the Gators get off to a good start Saturday by throwing a 4-hit shutout against Dundee-Crown. She struck out four and walked two.
Freshman Alexis Pupillo led Crystal Lake South's 18-hit attack going 4-for-5 with 2 RBI. Kyra Swartz (3-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI) and Brooke Kuffel both hit home runs.
Other players with big games included Emily Sulikowski who reached base five times with a pair of hits and 3 walks. Baylee Kassel and Maddie Bush both went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI.
That clinched a share of the title - but the Gators wanted more.
"None of the girls were all that excited about it," Busam said. "That's great but that's not what we were looking for."
Against Hampshire, the Whips took an early 2-1 lead when Sarah Bowen smacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the first.
The Gators went ahead to stay with 2 runs in the third. Toniolo plated the first run with a single and Bush gave Crystal Lake South a 3-2 lead with an RBI groundout.
After a 6-run fourth inning and a 4-run fifth, the Gators led 13-2. Hampshire avoided the 10-run rule by scoring five in the fifth and added three more in the sixth. Bowen finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI while leadoff hitter Katie DelRe also had 3 hits.
Like they did against Dundee-Crown, the Gators pounded out 18 hits. Pupillo again had 4 of them leaving her 8-for-9 on the day.
"She was spectacular," Busam said. "Alexis is one of the toughest kids I've been around. She has come through for us time and time again. For a freshman she is really mature and has gelled well with the upperclassmen."
Toniolo drilled a home run and went 3-5 with 4 RBI. Kuffel (3-5, 4 runs, 2 RBI), Sulikowski (2-5, 3 runs) and Evelyn Smith (3-4, 2 runs) all had big games.
Kuffel, normally the team's shortstop, pitched the first 5 innings allowing 7 runs while striking out four. Toniolo, who had pitched back-to-back games late this week, closed the game allowing 3 runs with 3 strikeouts in 2 innings.