Softball: Minooka opens season with tie vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais

MINOOKA – On a cold, windy day Tuedsay, runs were few, but not that far between as Minooka opened its season with a 2-all tie against Bradley-Bourbonnais in a game that was called after eight innings because of darkness.

Starting pitchers Peyton Lowden of Minooka and Libby Spaulding of Bradley-Bourbonnais were dominant. The strong wind didn’t matter much as Lowden struck out 15 in six innings, and Spaulding fanned eight in a complete-game effort.

After Lowden mowed down hitter after hitter over five innings, allowing only a double by Spaulding in the second, a single by Natalie Johnson in the fourth and a single by Kassidy Embry in the fifth, the Boilermakers opened the scoring in the top of the sixth.

With one out, Ellie Haggard singled off of the Minooka shortstop’s glove. Johnson then launched a two-run homer into the teeth of the wind for a 2-0 Bradley-Bourbonnais lead.

Minooka, however, came right back in the bottom half of the sixth.

Anna McClimon led off the inning with a single through the middle and was forced out at second on a grounder to second by Sofi Dzubia. Chloe Kohnhorst then singled to right, sending Dzubia to third, and Kohnhorst took second on the throw. That brought up cleanup hitter Megan Medlin, who fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before sending a shot down the third-base line that scored Dzubia and Kohnhorst to tie the game at 2. Kohnhorst was out at second trying for a double, and the inning ended with a popup.

Both teams were held scoreless in the seventh, with Minooka’s Taylor Mackin coming on in relief of Lowden. Bradley-Bourbonnais loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but Mackin induced a grounder to second to end the threat.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, McClimon reached after an error on the shortstop, and alertly took second when the Boilermaker outfielders were slow to retrieve the ball. Dzubia looped a liner toward center, but the Bradley-Bourbonnais shortstop caught the ball and stepped on second to double off McClimon, ending the game because of darkness.

“Both teams played really well,” Minooka coach Mark Brown said. “Peyton Lowden told me before the game that she couldn’t feel her fingers. Then she goes out and strikes out 15 in six innings. Our defense played well. We knew we would have good defense and pitchers that would keep us in games. Now, we have to be able to get some runs across.

“It was a tough day to hit. With the wind blowing in the way it was, runs were going to be at a premium. It was good to see our girls come right back and score after Bradley hit that home run. Megan Medlin had a great at-bat. She fouled off a couple tough pitches with two strikes and barrelled one up down the third base line. It just shows what kind of toughness she has.

“Bradley-Bourbinnais is a good team, and they already had a few games under their belt. For us to have a game like this in our opener, I am very happy.”