West Aurora's bats come alive in victory over Geneva
West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett holds a bold but firm outlook for the immediate future of his program.
"I said before to the coaches, and we have to go and prove it," Hayslett said. "This is probably going to be the best offensive team the school has ever had. Without a doubt."
If Wednesday's showing is any indication, he might be right.
Junior Alyssa Perkins and freshman Sara Tarr each blasted grand slams in West Aurora's 16-hit attack, part of an impressive 18-5 win over visiting Geneva in the season opener.
"They've got to go out there and perform, but we are capable of that each and every game," Hayslett said.
West Aurora returns 10 players from last year's team with five newcomers, including Tarr, who went 3-for-3 with six runs batted in on two singles, her grand slam and a walk.
"[Tarr] offers a lot. Obviously we see it right away," Hayslett said. "I've known her since she's been coming to our summer camps. What we didn't see [tonight since she was the designated player] was she's going to be our shortstop as well. She can play shortstop, she can play second. Obviously, she can hit and she's pretty fast, too. She has the complete package."
Tarr hit her first career varsity home run, but battled some initial nerves in her first plate appearance.
They evidently lasted for just a few pitches.
"[When] I got home, I just felt so welcomed [by] all the girls," Tarr said. "We've only been practicing for a couple months now, but I just feel [like it's] a family already."
Tarr's readiness for varsity-level softball out of the gate can be attributed in part to her travel softball opportunities with Dennison Silverhawks and her West Aurora teammates.
"They really help me believe to know that I'm good enough and I can make it to that level," Tarr said.
West Aurora's dynamic at the plate, Tarr believes, is boosted by the dugout's energy.
"It's more of the dugout: the way we cheer and the way everyone hears it and everyone's all just excited," Tarr said. "It really helps in the batting box."
West Aurora jumped on Geneva starter Nora Faulkner with four runs in the first inning. Callie Meinel rocked a three-run homer three batters into the game. Tarr followed up with an infield single of her own to score a run.
Perkins' second inning grand slam ballooned the lead to eight, but Geneva bounced back with a four-run third inning. Bre Venditti slugged a two-run double and Sloane Fisher added another.
West Aurora, though, exploded for a six-run bottom half of the inning when Keira Hayton advanced home on a single from Ionicca Rivera, Mackenzie Fraus was walked in and then Tarr's homer to left-center made it 14-4.
Four more runs were added on RBI singles from Rivera, Tarr and Vianca Juarez before Katelyn Serafin was walked in by Geneva relief pitcher Elise Strohm.
Vikings catcher Hailey Hornick hit an RBI groundout in the fifth, but West Aurora pitcher Hadleigh Bedwell held firm for her five-inning complete game victory. Bedwell struck out eight and allowed five hits.
"Shaking off [the cobwebs]," Geneva coach Annie Plackett said. "Our first practice outside was yesterday. There's a lot of things you do right in practice, but nothing really prepares you for game one. Our team is still very, very young. Both our pitchers are sophomores, neither of them has ever pitched at the varsity level and they were very nervous ...[West Aurora] is a good hitting team."
The brief bounce-back inning that produced four runs was the positive for Geneva.
"[We] really struggled at the plate last year," Plackett said. "They did such a good job of picking themselves up, coming back from being down and hitting the ball and hitting it into play. They got on base. When you focus on the positive, we did some things right at the plate tonight."