St. Charles East shuts out Wheaton Warrenville South
St. Charles East softball coach Jarod Gutesha realizes the kind of competitive spirit that senior pitcher Izzy Howe possesses.
Howe displayed that competitiveness - as well as a menacing rising fastball - during the Saints' 7-0 victory over DuKane Conference foe Wheaton Warrenville South (7-6, 1-2) Wednesday afternoon in St. Charles.
The right-hander recorded 16 strikeouts while allowing three harmless singles as the Saints improved to 10-2 overall, 1-1 in conference play.
"She's been like that all year long," Gutesha said of Howe, who fanned 8 of the first 9 batters she faced, including 7 consecutive from the first through the third innings. "She's got a velocity to her.
"There have been very few teams able to come in and make the adjustment to where they're moving the ball around. She has done a real nice job."
Howe didn't allow a baserunner until Parker Leonard's one-out line single to center in the fourth inning.
Following a wild pitch and walk to Emma Schusler, Howe worked out of the jam with a strikeout.
"I just try to throw it wherever my catcher (Sam Gaca) is calling it," Howe said. "I was spotting my fastball and hitting my spots.
"I hate walks - hate them."
The Saints grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, as Nikki Johnston singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Howe's RBI fielder's choice.
Courtesy runner Alyse Price was thrown out at the plate, limiting the Saints' early-inning damage.
"We ran ourselves out of a run," Gutesha said. "It turned out not to be a good send on my part."
St. Charles East benefited from some shaky Tigers defense during its 4-run third inning, highlighted by junior Stephanie Schnite's 3-run home run to left-center off WW South pitcher Maddie Pool.
"She didn't deserve that," said Tigers coach Jeff Pawlak of Pool. "I think we had six outs in that inning. We've got to be able to make the plays behind her and she knows that."
Pool struck out 6 and walked 4 while allowing 8 hits.
"She's young and she's learning," Pawlak said. "She's going to give teams a hard time as she continues to get a little more experience."
Schnite's 3-run homer, her second of the season, came at an opportune time for the Saints.
"I was just trying to hit a line drive," she said. "I had two strikes on me. I was trying to make some contact."
"Stephanie's home run was huge," Gutesha said. "That was a no-doubter. As soon as she hit that, I knew it was gone no matter what day it was."
The Saints added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on RBI singles from pinch-hitter Chloe Hild and Gaca.
St. Charles East, which defeated Downers Grove South 6-1 on Tuesday behind sophomore pitcher Grace Hautzinger, visits Glenbard North and Geneva Thursday and Friday, and faces Huntley at Saturday's Marengo Invite before hosting St. Charles North Monday.