Softball: Kaitlyn Schofield’s 15-strikeout no-hitter, big day at the plate powers Newark past Somonauk

SOMONAUK – Throughout her high school softball career, Newark junior Kaitlyn Schofield has proven to be a dominant force on the diamond whether it be in the pitching circle or at the plate.

Schofield sparkled in both aspects of the game once again versus the Little Ten Conference co-op of Somonauk/Hinckley-Big Rock/Leland.

Schofield delivered in the circle, tossing a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts. At the plate, she had a triple, double and a single.

She lifted Newark – the No. 6 ranked team in the current Illinois Coaches Association Class 1A Poll – to a 11-0, six-inning win over the Bobcats on Tuesday afternoon in Somonauk.

“It was a pretty good day for me, and I stayed consistent with my fast and my curve balls and everything was working pretty well,” Schofield said. “I also hit the ball the way I wanted to, and I’ve worked hard to get to where I want my game to be at, so today was a nice result of that.”

Schofield’s second no-hitter of the season raised her impressive record to 7-1 this year.

“Kaitlyn had a nice performance, and when she’s throwing well she’s tough to hit,” Newark coach Tim Schofield said of his daughter. “She also hit the ball well, as did the rest of the girls once we were able to catch up with Somonauk’s pitcher, who threw a pretty good game, too.”

Despite giving up 11 runs and 12 hits, Bobcat freshman hurler Bre VerCautren impressed by striking out 11 batters, as the home team slid to 4-8 overall and 3-7 in league play.

“Their pitcher did a great job, but so did ours, and I was proud of the way she pitched being only a freshman,” Bobcat coach Hannah Bazan said. “But it all comes down to seeing that Newark is a very cohesive team all the way around, and we’re still working on that cohesiveness. We hung in there with them for a while but we just couldn’t generate any offense against a very good pitcher.”

Kaitlyn Schofield led off the top of the first with a single and eventually came around to score on sophomore Ryan Williams’ (two hits, three RBIs) groundout that gave Newark a 1-0 lead after a half an inning.

The Norsemen (19-2-1, 8-0 LTC) would go up, 3-0, in the top of the third with a pair of runs.

After VerCautren retired the first two batters, junior Taylor Kruser (two hits) walked and scored on Williams’ double down the left field line. Sophomore Danica Peshia (two hits) followed with a double to center that scored Williams.

Kaitlyn Schofield was cruising along with a perfect game on nine of 10 strikeouts before Bobcat sophomores Felicity Thornton and Haley McCoy reached on a pair of Newark infield errors. Schofield ended any possible threat with her 11th punch out to end the fourth inning.

The Norsemen then got to VerCautren in a big way, scoring five runs in the top of the fifth on run-scoring at bats from Kruser and Williams before a two-run single to left by junior Bre Dixon and an RBI base knock from junior Peyton Wohead that put the visitors up, 8-0.

Newark would conclude the day’s scoring with three more runs in the top of the sixth courtesy of Kaitlyn Schofield’s RBI triple, an unearned run and Peshia’s run scoring single to put the Norsemen ahead, 11-0.

All that was left was for Kaitlyn Schofield to strike out two more batters in the sixth to register her second no-hitter this spring.

“This has been a pretty special year for us so far, and we’re really starting to build some momentum and confidence as we move toward the post season,” Kaitlyn Schofield said. “I definitely think we have the potential to go very far if we keep playing like we’ve been playing.”