Softball: Cary-Grove’s Maddie Crick hits for cycle, walks off FVC win against Burlington Central

CARY – Cary-Grove’s Maddie Crick singled, doubled and homered in her first three at-bats against Burlington Central on Monday, leaving her a triple shy of a cycle – a feat that’s eluded the Trojans senior.

Crick, who bats left-handed, pulled a ball in the bottom of the fifth inning that crossed over the first base bag and went down the right field line. After rounding second base, there was a slight hesitation.

She then thought, ‘Why not?’

“The ball was coming in, and I didn’t want to get thrown out, obviously, but I really wanted to get a cycle,” said Crick, an NCAA Division III Wisconsin–Oshkosh commit. “I was like, ‘We’re going for it, and we’ll see what happens.’ I was really excited.

“That’s probably one of my proudest moments in high school right there.”

Crick beat the throw to third, completing her first cycle. Her day would get even better when she had her second three-run home run in her last at-bat to walk off a 19-7 Fox Valley Conference win over the Rockets in six innings.

Crick finished 5 for 5 with eight RBIs to lead a Trojans offense that collected 19 hits, including seven for extra bases.

Crick said Monday’s cycle was either No. 1 or 2 on her list of favorite high school moments. The other was when she hit her first grand slam during last year’s Class 3A regional final against Wauconda.

“Other than her skill and a straight love for the game, she brings energy,” first year Trojans coach Cara Neff said. “I love how hard she swings the bat, I love how she catches a game, but my favorite part about her is just that. Her positive energy.”

Also hitting homers for the Trojans (7-10, 5-5 FVC) were sophomore Addison DeSomer and junior Aubrey Lonergan. DeSomer drilled a three-run homer in the third inning, and Lonergan hit her first career inside-the-park home run on a ball that knuckled away from left fielder Allie Botkin in the fifth, scoring two runs.

Lonergan, who bats leadoff, never stopped running and was surprised when Neff continued to wave her in around third base. She slid into home plate safely and then lay there for a few seconds to catch her breath.

“Oh my God, it felt amazing,” said Lonergan, who was 4 for 5 with five runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases. “I thought at first it was just going to be a triple, but I saw my coach [wave me in], and I just went for it. I was just taking it all in. First one, that’s pretty big.”

Also for the Trojans, Becca Weaver was 3 for 4 with three runs scored, DeSomer had five RBIs, and Katelyn O’Malley added two RBIs. Addison Green and Kaley Koltz both had two hits. Green also earned the win, allowing three earned runs in six innings. She gave up five hits, walked five and struck out nine.

For Central (9-11, 3-6) Kendall Glonek hit a home run and drove in two runs. Kelsey Covey had a pinch-hit, two-run single in a five-run third for the Rockets, which at the time gave them a 5-2 lead. But C-G came back in the bottom half with five runs of its own.

The Trojans then added four runs in the fourth, five in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Central was missing a handful of regulars Monday and committed six errors.

First-year coach Bill Morrow said the Rockets have been alternating good games and bad games.

Central won the Larkin Slugfest championship April 13, which included wins over Dundee-Crown and Hampshire. On Thursday, the Rockets fell to St. Charles North 5-3. The North Stars entered the week ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by the Illinois Softball Coaches Association.

“The good thing is, I’m here not just for this year, I’m here for next year, too, and I think the underclassmen have grown a lot,” Morrow said. “But you’ve got to make plays, it’s that simple. I can’t go on the field. I tell them that all the time.”