Softball: Bella Dimitrijevic pitches, slugs Lincoln-Way Central past Lockport

NEW LENOX — It was more than a good matchup between two top local softball teams on Good Friday.

In a 9 a.m. battle of sophomore pitchers, Lincoln-Way Central edged Lockport 4-3 in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover in New Lenox.

The game was a rematch of the sectional semifinals the past two seasons. The Knights won both of those in blowout fashion. This one was a lot closer, but thanks to the pitching and slugging of Bella Dimitrijevic, Lincoln-Way Central (5-3, 2-0) prevailed once again.

Dimitrijevic, a right-hander, allowed three earned runs on seven hits but came up huge with a season-high 16 strikeouts to go along with only one walk and a hit batter. She also slugged her second home run of the season in the bottom of the first to give the Knights a lead they would never relinquish.

“I felt really excited,” Dimitrijevic said. “I didn’t feel nervous. I just had a lot of adrenaline out there. I was throwing a lot of riseballs, and I was just trying to pitch around their good hitters.”

With two outs and none on in the first, Dimitrijevic proved to be a good hitter herself as she deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence.

“I didn’t think it was a home run,” Dimitrijevic said. “I got jammed a little bit and hit it off the end of the bat, and it just kept going.”

In the circle, Dimitrijevic was dominant for the second straight game.

“We beat Barrington 4-0 yesterday,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Jeff Tarala said of Thursday’s home game against another state power. “In that game, Bella pitched a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts. She’s been incredible with 28 strikeouts in the last two games. She’s special.”

Through the first four innings, Dimitrijevic was cruising along with a one-hitter and had 11 strikeouts. In the meantime, Lincoln-Way Central — which has no seniors — added to the lead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Junior third baseman Mia Guide (2 for 2) had a leadoff single, and sophomore designated player Kayla Doerre reached on a fielder’s choice that didn’t result in an out. With two outs, junior center fielder Kendall Pearson squibbed a ball up the first-base line. Porter pitcher Alaina Peetz fielded it, but her hurried throw hit Pearson, and two runs scored on the play.

Peetz allowed two earned runs on seven hits with 12 strikeouts, no walks and a hit by pitch.

The Porters (7-3, 0-2), who were ranked as the top team in Class 4A by MaxPreps this week but have now lost three straight, scored twice in the fifth. Second baseman Addison Foster (3 for 4) and catcher Peyton Kryza (2 for 4, RBI) had back-to-back singles. With two outs, junior shortstop Sarah Vair skied a long fly to left that fell in for a two-run double.

Lincoln-Way Central added a big insurance run in the sixth. Guide and Sarah Kmak had consecutive singles to lead it off. Doerre sacrificed the runners, and Ellie McLaughlin lined a 2-2 pitch to left for an RBI single.

“I love the fact that we had a freshman, who had struck out her first two times, come up and get an RBI single there. That was a massive hit,” Tarala said.

Foster led off the seventh with her third hit, a single to center. She stole second and scored when Kryza singled to left. But Dimitrijevic got a flyout and a strikeout, and then junior Josephine Jager — who had a double in the third — snared a line shot at first base to end the game.

Lucy Cameron also had a single for the Knights, and Ava Swain added a single for Lockport.

“We’re young, and we’re starting a lot of newbies,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. “At the WJOL Tournament, our bats were hot. Now they’ve cooled off, and we will have to get them hot again.

“But all of these games are here to get us ready for the postseason. We have to be prepared for that environment and the urgency that comes with those big games.”