Prep softball: Kaitlyn Williams’ walk off homer lifts Sycamore past Dundee-Crown in 10

DeKALB – After her three-run, walk-off home run lifted Sycamore past Dundee-Crown 6-3 in 10 innings Thursday, Kaitlyn Williams said she felt a lot of things.

Excitement. Pride. And, almost three hours after the scheduled start, hunger.

“I wasn’t hitting the best today,” Williams said. “I’m hitting in the three spot, and it’s my job to get on base. Hitting that was really good.”

“Plus I’m really hungry and want to get home,” Williams added while laughing after the game that started almost 20 minutes late.

Williams’ blast completed a three-run comeback for the Spartans (22-10) against the Chargers (18-14) and starter McKayla Anderson, who struck out 17 and carried a perfect game into the fourth.

“She’s been smoking the ball lately. She’s transitioned nicely to the varsity level. ”

—  Jill Carpenter, Sycamore coach on Kaitlyn Williams

Down 3-0 in the seventh, Brooklynn Snodgrass started the Sycamore rally with a leadoff home run. Kairi Lantz was hit by a pitch and Faith Heil singled. Anderson, an SIU-Edwardsville commit, struck out the next two batters, but No. 9 hitter Kara Trautvetter doubled off the fence in left-center to tie the score.

“Keera has been the unsung hero a little bit here,” Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said. “She’s fast, she can put the bunt down, and I’ll give her a lot of credit. I think she’s the first kid I saw make a tremendous adjustment in the box. She went all the way back. She went to a slap. She knows what her strengths and weaknesses are and is not afraid to change things up.”

The Spartans were coming off a 3-2 loss to rival Kaneland on Wednesday, and for a while it was looking like the bats were going to remain quiet.

The Chargers scored first in the fifth, when Kendall Brents walked off Sycamore starter Alyssa Wilkerson, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced on a bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Casi Attapit.

Dundee-Crown added two more in the fifth. Addison Pin doubled home Anabelle Pederson, then Pino scored on a single by Brents.

“It was a battle,” D-C coach Matthew Goetz said. “They got their hits in when they needed to. But I liked the way we manufactured our runs. Our pitcher did a great job. We still have to work on closing that last inning out.”

Addie McLaughlin led off the 10th with a walk, then Tia Durst singled. Williams blasted a no-doubter over the left-center fence to end the game.

Williams was 0 for 4 before the home run.

“She’s been smoking the ball lately,” Carpenter said. “She’s transitioned nicely to the varsity level. There’s a big difference from the JV to the varsity. It didn’t use to be this way. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches, and we’ve seen this separation. It took her a little while to adjust to some of the better pitching, and she’s just doing an awesome, awesome job.”

Despite two hits through the first six innings, Sycamore outhit Dundee-Crown 8-6. Wilkerson went six innings, then Bella Jacobs pitched the final four, allowing only two hits – both to Pino – with one walk and three strikeouts.

Durst was 2 for 4 for the Spartans and Heil added two hits. Each of the 11 Spartans who had an at-bat struck out at least once.

“I’m going to give a lot of credit to Alyssa,” Carpenter said. “She only gave up four hits then Bella came in and closed the door.”

Pino had three hits for the Chargers. Anderson allowed three runs and eight hits in 10 innings, walking two and striking out 17.

The Chargers are off until Tuesday, when they open the Class 4A Barrington Regional against Grant.

“I’m confident, and I’ll know they’ll pick their heads up,” Goetz said. “We had a good game Tuesday against Hampshire, and we have a few days to get ready and go from there.”