Softball: Benet Routs Error-Prone Huskies

Benet’s softball team couldn’t get anything going offensively against Naperville North pitcher Emily Dieckmann during a 1-0 loss back on April 13.

It was a much different story Wednesday.

Benet pounded out nine hits and took advantage of six Naperville North errors en route to an easier-than-expected 10-1 victory over the Huskies in a Class 4A Oswego East Sectional semifinal.

The Redwings (28-10) will take on the winner of Thursday’s game between Downers Grove South and Naperville Central Saturday at 11 a.m. in the sectional championship game.

“We knew that they were going to be a good, hard-hitting team and to shut them down is good,” Benet pitcher Allyson Staats said. “I know one of the girls on their team really well and she was like, ‘We’re ready for you and you better be ready for us.’ I was like, ‘Oh, we are.’

"I think we all just came to play today. Offense, defense and pitching were all there today and that’s what you need to win a game.”

Staats was effective on the mound, improving to 26-9 by hurling a complete-game four-hitter with one walk and two strikeouts. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.

But the Huskies (18-13), who were coming off Saturday’s stunning 5-2 upset of top-seeded Downers Grove North, had a chance to strike first in the top of the first inning when Bella Masini drew a one-out walk and stole second.

After Caitlyn Warren lined out to right, Tara Degl Innocenti rapped a base hit to left. Masini tried to score but was thrown out at the plate by Benet leftfielder Ali Michalik to end the inning.

“That was definitely a momentum-changer,” Staats said. “Ali [made] a great throw, especially because she didn’t play much outfield before this [season]. She’s come such a long way and for her to do that was really awesome.”

The Redwings responded by scoring twice in their half of the first, seemingly pumped up by Michalik’s throw to catcher Kendall Duffy.

“She’s definitely by far our weakest arm in the outfield but she was aggressive to the ball, the wind was behind her, which helped, and she just threw a perfect strike,” Benet coach Jerry Schilf said. “That changed the whole complexion.

"Then we come back and we score two runs, not that you’re comfortable with two runs but it makes you feel a lot more confident.”

Duffy started that rally with a one-out walk and went to second on a single by Staats. One out later, Duffy scored and Staats advanced to third on a single by Julianne Rurka.

Rurka tried to steal second and was going to be thrown out easily at second base but she somehow eluded the tag. In the ensuing rundown and Staats alertly raced home from third to make it 2-0.

It was the beginning of a sloppy defensive performance by Naperville North, which gave up unearned runs in the second and fifth innings and an RBI double to Maeve McGuire in the fourth.

“That’s not the way we’ve been playing the last 10 to 12 games,” Naperville North coach Jerry Kedziora said. “We’d been playing much better defense than what we did today.”

But the Redwings were more charitable in their assessment.

“I think we just hit to the spots and we were hitting it hard, so when you do that sometimes they’re going to get through, sometimes not,” Staats said. “Today they just got through.”

Leadoff hitter McGuire paced the Benet offense by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base, while her sister Nora McGuire was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI out of the cleanup spot.

“I like hitting with my sister because it’s like a friendly competition,” Maeve McGuire said. “We’re always pushing each other to get another hit.

“I was really surprised [with the offensive success] because last time we played them we got shut out. But it was a good surprise.”

Maeve McGuire said she adjusted her approach at the plate after the first meeting with Dieckmann.

“I worked on hitting change-ups after that game,” she said. “I really worked on hitting my inside because that’s what I struggled with against her. She’s a really good pitcher.”

The Huskies scored an unearned run in the sixth as Sammy Marshall bunted for a single, stole second and scored when Warren’s fly to center was dropped. But that was Benet’s only error of the game.

“I know I can count on the defense,” Staats said. “It’s like the best feeling because then I just go out there and hit my spots and I know that they’ve got my back.”

The Redwings put the game away by scoring five times in the sixth on four hits, three walks, a wild pitch, a stolen base and another Huskies error.

“Benet didn’t make many mistakes,” Kedziora said. “That’s the way you’ve got to play. They made all the plays and we didn’t.”

After a 12-8 start, Benet has won 16 of its last 18 games. The fifth-seeded Redwings will likely be an underdog against either No. 2 seed Downers South (27-6) or No. 3 seed Naperville Central (24-10) but they don’t mind.

“[The seniors], we really want to go out with a bang,” Staats said. “I think we all feel that way so that’s what we’re trying to go for is make this the best season of our four years.”

This season was the best for Naperville North in recent memory. The Huskies won their first regional title since 1996 and are sending four players to the college ranks. Marshall will play at Western Illinois, while Dieckmann is headed to DePauw, Masini to Elmhurst and Kendall Vassar to Hope.

“That’s unprecedented in our program,” Kedziora said. “They get to carry on their careers in college and that’s pretty cool.”