Softball: 17-run 2nd inning powers Plainfield South past Joliet Central

JOLIET – The Southwest Prairie Conference game started well for Joliet Central on Thursday at Plainfield South.

The Steelmen scored two runs in the top of the first.

After that, it was all Plainfield South.

“We wanted to keep playing hard, no matter what. We had to keep telling ourselves to wait, wait, wait on the pitches. We did a good job of that today.

—  Lauren Pell

The Cougars (6-8, 2-0) scored four times in the bottom of the first before holding Central scoreless in the top of the second and then erupting for 17 runs in the bottom half en route to a 27-2 victory.

Contributions came from everyone in the lineup. Plainfield South batted around twice in the inning and collected 10 hits while walking six times and being hit by two pitches.

Lauren Pell was a force in the Cougars lineup as she finished 2 for 2 with a double and four RBIs. She also walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

“We wanted to keep playing hard, no matter what,” Pell said. “We had to keep telling ourselves to wait, wait, wait on the pitches. We did a good job of that today.

“It feels good to get a win like this. This week, we have been playing better, and maybe this will turn things around for us.”

The Steelmen (2-7, 0-2) started with a bang. Natalie Reyes led off with a slap single to left, and freshman Haydn Voss followed with a double to center to put runners on second and third. Joliet Central then got RBI groundouts from Krista Sierra and Joselyn Davenport.

“The top of our order is strong,” Central coach Jon Rashid said. “Natalie Reyes is a really good slap hitter, and Haydn Voss is just incredible as a freshman. They got us started, and Krista and Joselyn did what we asked them to do and put the ball in the play and got the runners home.

“We are starting to face some better pitching in our conference now, so it will take a little while for everybody to adjust. I expect us to have better at-bats as the season goes on.”

Plainfield South answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, getting an RBI double by Pell and Rory Lavery (3 for 3, 2 doubles), an RBI single by Adrianna Pope and an RBI groundout by Bella Hanson (2 for 4, two RBIs).

South pitcher Aubrey Reda struck out the side in the top of the second, and then the game broke open.

The Cougars sent 23 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second and 17 of them scored. The Cougars also had the bases loaded when the third out was made.

Pell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and also had a two-run single in the inning, while Katie Nichols had two hits, including a double, and drove in three. Kendal Pasquale, who started the inning with a walk, had two hits and three RBIs and scored three runs. Giana Zumdahl had the biggest hit with a bases-clearing double and had two hits and four RBIs in the inning.

The onslaught wasn’t over. Plainfield South added six more runs in the bottom of the third, getting RBIs from Hanson, Pasquale, Zumdahl and Nichols.

“Our girls played hard, which is what we want them to do,” Plainfield South coach Tara Miller said. “They kept their focus and worked all game. I tell them I don’t care if we are up 20 or down 20, I want them to put their all into every play. You want to play every game like it’s your last, because one day it will be. You don’t want to look back and say you didn’t do your best.

“We had everyone contribute. Everyone did the job we asked them to do. For us, the No. 9 hitter is just as important as the No. 3 hitter. We made a lot of solid contact today and put a lot of balls in play.”