Sports
Girls Softball: Waubonsie Hammered by Joliet Catholic
Joliet Catholic 11, Waubonsie Valley 1 (6 inn). The Warriors' season opener is a rough one as the Angels take advantage of the Warriors' defensive mistakes.
After sitting through two delays, the Warriors softball team got its season underway against Joliet Catholic Academy.
Erratic pitching and defense, however, sunk the Warriors in an 11-1 loss that ended after six innings of play.
“We’re a really young team,” Warriors coach Aly Kelley said. “We have a lot to learn yet going forward.”
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The Warriors (0-1) squandered early opportunities against the Angels (1-0), including having runners on first and second in the top of the second. Angels pitcher Mallory Goulding got out of the jam, however, with two of her eight strikeouts.
“We have to learn to execute on offense,” Kelley said.
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Junior pitcher Alyssa Garcia struggled for the Warriors in the first two innings, giving up the first run in the bottom of the second thanks to a pair of wild pitches, which set up a sac fly by Goulding. The Warriors got the run back in the third thanks to a lead-off triple by center fielder Jessica Sarch and an RBI single by Hayley Wensel.
The tie would be short-lived. Sophomore Amy Jablonsky relieved Garcia to start the third and never got into a decent rhythm. The Angels hammered Jablonsky for five straight hits to start the fourth inning.
Jablonsky threw two wild pitches and surrendered four runs in that stretch, including a two-run double by third baseman Kelly Valencik, to make it a 5-1 game. Shortstop Tori Johnson added another with an RBI double.
“Our pitchers are really young,” Kelley said. “They have to learn how to hit their spots and execute or something like today will happen.”
About the Angels, Kelley said, “They really came out swinging and they found the gaps with line drives and bloop hits.”
The Angels attacked again in the sixth, tacking on five more runs to end the game by slaughter rule. Johnson hit a three-run homer in the frame and Goulding finished the game with an RBI single. Jablonsky, in all, allowed ten runs in 3 1/3 innings, striking out five and throwing four wild pitches.
“It was a rough first game,” Kelley said. “I told the girls to go home and reflect on today and we’re gonna come back tomorrow and talk about it.”
The Warriors will try and carry that reflection to their home opener against Rolling Meadows on Wednesday.
