Beecher’s Taylor Norkus shines in the circle as Bobcats down Reed-Custer

BRAIDWOOD – There’s little question that the Beecher softball team boast’s the area’s, if not the state’s, most touted pitcher in junior Florida State commit Ava Lorenzatti. But they also might have the area’s No. 2 pitcher in senior Taylor Norkus.

Norkus got the nod in the circle in the Bobcats’ nonconference tilt with Reed-Custer Friday, keeping the Comet bats off-balance to the tune of a three-hit, 13-strikeout complete game that fueled the Bobcats to a 10-1 victory.

Whether it’s Lorenzatti, last year’s Daily Journal Player of the Year and two-time River Valley Conference Player of the Year, or Norkus, a Colgate commit and fellow two-time All-RVC pick, Beecher head coach Kevin Hayhurst knows the Bobcats’ gameplan is the same no matter who’s in the circle.

"It’s great," Hayhurst said. “It’s the same ballgame. We’re playing for early runs and hoping that they stand up, because she’s capable of shutting down other teams.”

After Thursday night’s rain forced the contest from Beecher (3-0) to the turf at Reed-Custer (3-1), Norkus got through the top of the first in 1-2-3 order before she got more than enough run support in the bottom of the first, three runs.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Beecher's Ava Lorenzatti swings at a pitch during a game at Reed-Custer Friday, March 28, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

The Comets put together a bit of a rally in the top of the fourth and got on the board when Makenzie Foote’s double brought home Addison Hartman, but the Bobcats exploded for a six-spot in their share of the fourth and got a little extra offense when Lorenzatti smoked a home run to dead center in the fifth.

Lorenzatti was 3 for 4 from the leadoff spot, finishing a triple shy of the cycle with two RBIs and three runs. Makenzie Johnson, Ava Olson, Elena Kvasnicka and Norkus all had two-hit days as well, with Olson, Kvasnicka and Norkus all driving in a pair.

Although the Bobcats were playing just their third game Friday and still getting in the literal swing of things at the plate, if there’s anything Norkus has seen during her time as a Bobcat, it’s that an inning like the fourth was coming at some point.

“Since it’s the beginning of the season, everyone’s trying to still adjust, get back around and get back into the groove,” Norkus said. “But, kind of (expected a big inning).”

While the Bobcats have almost their entire lineup back from last year’s Class 2A Sectional championship team, the Comets and head coach Madison Hiestand are on the other end of the experience spectrum, although almost every player between both teams have won state championships.

The Bobcats have won a pair of IESA Class 2A softball state titles since the COVID-19 pandemic (2021, 2023), with the Comets also winning one in 2022. With just three upperclassmen on the Reed-Custer roster, the Comets are seeing several of those state championship players making contributions as freshmen and sophomores this year. And Hiestand knows that facing elite opponents like Beecher will only help them progress at the high school level.

“I think the girls did really well for not being used to being on the varsity level, and there’s a lot of good to take away,” Hiestand said. " ... We haven’t seen competition as far as Beecher so far. We’ve had three previous games before this, so I think it was good to have this experience for learning purposes. Even after the game in the huddle, a lot of them were saying that. So, they know. They’re aware."