Softball: Madi Reeves’ 17-strikeout, near-perfect game sends Yorkville past Plainfield North

YORKVILLE – Madi Reeves’ Yorkville teammates playfully caked her black softball uniform with chalk from the baselines after Thursday’s game against Plainfield North.

It’s the closest anyone came to touching Reeves all day.

The Foxes’ fireballing sophomore right-hander has enjoyed a number of memorable starts in her first high school season but this one was special.

Reeves struck out the first 13 Plainfield North batters she faced and took a perfect game into the seventh inning.

She wound up striking out 17, an infield hit off her glove the lone blemish, and Kaitlyn Roberts’ two solo homers accounted for the offense in Yorkville’s 2-0 win over North, as the Foxes remained unbeaten in the Southwest Prairie Conference West Division.

“I’d say this is the best one she’s had so far, and she’s had a lot of great games,” Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said. “It’s going to be hard to beat this one, against a very good team.”

Reeves hardly was caught up in the moment, but she was a little irritated that she couldn’t come up with Victoria Countryman’s hot smash back through the box with one out in the seventh that Countryman beat out for a hit.

“I could have had that one, but I’m not going to hang my head over it,” Reeves said.

Reeves should be holding her head quite high with the season she’s having for Yorkville (14-2, 6-0). She’s 10-2 for the season with a 0.81 earned run average and 177 strikeouts. Her 17 strikeouts were one off of a season-high 18 against Bradley-Bourbonnais.

Her demeanor hardly showed it but Reeves was well aware of the perfect game she had going.

“I knew I had one, but I wasn’t going to let that change my game,” Reeves said. “I don’t think about that in the game.”

Plainfield North (9-3-1, 0-2) was hardly hanging its head over the loss. The Tigers were just glad to be back on the field.

They last played May 1, and since then were in COVID-19 quarantine for 10 days. A short practice Wednesday was the first time Plainfield North coach Deanna Blyth had seen her girls since May 1.

“And we’re young,” Blyth said. “Five of the nine positions starting today are freshmen and sophomores, and my girl on the mound [Ally Pavlich] is a junior who had never pitched varsity. We’re pretty pleased, to be honest. Obviously, the hitting wasn’t there but the defense was excellent and the pitching was good outside two mistakes.”

Roberts jumped on the first pitch in the bottom of the first for a leadoff homer to center field.

“Normally, I like to see some pitches, but my pitch is low and outside, and I saw that coming to the plate, so I had to jump on it,” Roberts said.

Roberts, a sophomore, has jumped right into the leadoff spot.

She went 4 for 4 with a triple and an RBI in her first game in that spot Tuesday against Oswego and kept it going Thursday.

“She’s been phenomenal,” Regnier said. “Super athletic, she just goes up there and does her thing confidently. I can’t ask for a better two games out of her.”

Roberts even surprised herself with the second homer to right-center leading off the sixth, rounding third base with a huge smile.

“I was just expecting to get on base, a single, and I see it going,” Roberts said. “I was like ‘Oh my god, this is crazy.’ ”

It was enough offense for Reeves.

She beat Plainfield North 5-3 in the teams’ first meeting April 27, at the time the fewest runs the Tigers had scored this season.

Reeves simply was overpowering Thursday, blowing her rise ball past Tigers’ hitters in the early going, needing only 10 pitches to navigate the second inning. As Plainfield North’s hitters began to foul off more pitches, Reeves painted an inside corner for three called third strikes on full counts.

“I throw a lot of high pitches and that is something I got, but once they realize that I can bring it down,” Reeves said. “The ump was helping me out, too. I was on the plate. It was a solid win. They’re a good program.”

Pavlich allowed only four hits.

“All kudos to [Reeves], she’s an excellent pitcher, throws hard,” Blyth said. “She’s the fastest pitcher we’ve seen this year.”