Sarch Leads the Way to Warriors’ First Win

It’s always nice when your lead-off hitter can get on base a few times and maybe come around and score. What ’s Jessica Sarch did at the top of the order on Wednesday was better than nice.

Leading off the bottom of the first inning against Rolling Meadows, the Warriors center fielder slashed a hard liner into the gap in left center and proceeded to race around the bases for a home run and a quick 1-0 lead. In the second frame, Sarch ripped a triple to deep left center and once again came around to score, helping the home team quickly jump on Rolling Meadows 7-0 on its way a an 8-3 non-conference victory in Aurora.

“It felt really great,” said Sarch of her home run that sparked a 4-run first inning. “As soon as the ball came off the bat it felt like it was going to be a good hit. I just kept on going (around the bases).”

Sarch also kept on hitting, finishing the day 4-for-4 against the 1-1 Mustangs and jump starting Waubonsie Valley (1-1) to its first win of the season.

“It felt really great, especially since we came out with our bats hot,” said Warriors coach Ally Kelley, whose team opened the new year with an 11-1 loss to Joliet Catholic on Tuesday. “We spend a lot of our practices doing all hitting. Finally after all that work it felt real good to have something happen.”

Sarch was not alone in swinging a hot bat on Wednesday as the Warriors belted out 11 hits including a trio of home runs. First baseman Jackie Kreiner had a 3-run homer in the first and hit the ball hard all three trips to the plate, adding a double and single after her round-tripper and finishing with 4 RBI's.

Trailing 7-0 after two innings, Rolling Meadows touched Warriors starter Alysa Garcia (1-0) for an unearned run in the third and then cut the gap to 7-3 with two runs in the top of the fifth.

But sophomore third baseman Erin Hohman ripped a home run in the bottom of the fifth to make her day extra special and then Waubonsie reliever Amy Jablonsky pitched two scoreless innings to close out the victory.

“It was our sophomore’s birthday and we told Erin we’d win for her birthday so that was our present to her,” said Kelley, who bats Amanda Minivan third and fellow sophomore Hohmam fourth in the lineup. “Our 3-4 hitters are young but they came up big today.”

But it all started at the top on this day with Sarch leading off and leading the way to victory.