Softball: Antioch stays hot at Grayslake North
The start of the Antioch-Grayslake North softball game Thursday afternoon was delayed 45 minutes because of a faulty bus at Antioch.
But it didn't stall Antioch's mighty offense in the least in the Northern Lake County Conference game in sunny, warm, breezy conditions.
The state-ranked Sequoits - who placed third at the Class 3A state tournament last spring - plated 3 runs in the first inning and added 7 in the third en route to a 15-1, 6-inning defeat of North's Knights in Grayslake.
"It didn't bother us," Antioch junior catcher Grace Green said of the transportation issue. "We stayed calm. We came out and played hard, like we always do."
Green made the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the second inning with Knights freshman Alyson Alvarenga on first base (walk). Sophomore Lauren Gaeding tapped a bunt attempt that had "single" written all over it.
But Green leapt out of the batter's box and got horizontal to catch the ball about six feet up the third-base line for the second out.
"Kind of a reflex move," Green said. "I saw her prepare to bunt, and then I got ready to jump.
"Full layout," she added.
The impressive snare dirtied most of the front of her uniform.
Antioch senior pitcher Syerra Gilmore, who had entered the game with 3 wins and a pristine 0.00 ERA, got the win, allowing 1 earned run and 4 hits in 6 innings. She fanned 9 and walked 4 to improve to 4-0.
Sequoits coach Anthony Rocco upped his career-win total to 300, with the first 35 victories coming in his tenure at Ridgewood. Thursday's win was the team's eighth via the 10-run mercy rule in 11 games.
"Our consistency has been one of our strengths," said Rocco, whose club (11-0, 3-0 in the NLCC) hasn't committed an error this spring.
His squad's batters showed their potency right away, beginning with senior leadoff hitter Eden Echevarria's sliding double in the top of the first inning. Junior Jacey Schuler drove her in with a sacrifice fly, and freshman Samantha Hillner made it 2-0 with a run-scoring triple.
Sequoits freshman shortstop Claire Schulyer capped the scoring in the frame with an RBI single to center.
Echevarria's 2-run single highlighted the visitors' 7-run third inning.
And Antioch did all of the above while facing a cleat-less foe - a strong wind.
Grayslake North (2-7-1, 1-2 in the NLCC) plated its lone run in the bottom of the fourth on Alvarenga's run-scoring single. Senior first baseman Morgan Nielsen, who scored, had opened the inning with a triple to left-center.
"I'm proud of the way we battled," said Knights coach Amanda Rodriguez, who started three freshmen. "A couple of errors hurt us in that third inning. We never gave up.
"(Alvarenga)," she added, "is a gamer, always serious and always ready to go."
Antioch scored 5 runs in the sixth inning following a leadoff double by freshman Jadynn Ruiz and two hit batsmen. Schulyer knocked in a pair with a single, 2 more scored on a Gilmore single, and junior Miranda Gomez accounted for the final RBI on a groundout.
"Syerra kept everybody up in the dugout when we were batting," Green said. "She did that with her energy. She's always aware, always positive."
Rocco also received fine defensive efforts from Schulyer and senior third baseman Emily Brecht. Schulyer scooted to her left to glove a sharp grounder and throw out the hitter in a close play at first base in the third. Brecht made a tough catch look easy on a pop-up near Grayslake North's dugout in the first inning.
But Green's gem near home plate wowed all.
"Pure athleticism," Rocco said of his catcher foiling North's bunt try. "She's quick back there, and she's fast around the bases, often looking to take the extra base."