Varsity softball beats LT on senior night
On Tuesday, May 20, the girls’ varsity softball team beat Lyons Township, 8-7, in a close game on their senior night. Both teams came out swinging in the first inning, setting the tone for a well-played game.
During the top of the first inning, nearly every ball was hit to shortstop Annie Bruns, freshman. Bruns handled the pressure well, catching a pop-up and tagging a runner attempting to steal second base.
Despite the devils’ tight fielding and sophomore Courtney Berlin’s consistent pitching, some of LT’s hits could not be fielded, and the lions led by a small margin.
This lead was soon taken away by third baseman Riley Burr, freshman, who scored a homerun for Central in the bottom of the inning with two girls on base, making the score 3-2 for the Devils.
“Before I hit the homerun, I knew I should probably place the ball in the outfield somewhere to get Faith home,” Burr said. “I just knew I had to hit it.”
LT came back in the second inning. After four solid hits and three scattered groundouts, they reclaimed a 5-3 lead.
In the top of the third inning, LT increased their lead with a two-run homerun of their own. These were the only two runs LT scored in the half-inning, however, as clean fielding from second baseman Lauren Daleen, senior and Burr, paired with Berlin’s first strikeout of the game, halted further advancement.
Central gained one run in the bottom of the third inning when junior and centerfielder Annemarie Tracey was able to cross home plate after putting herself on base with a double in the form of a line drive over LT’s right fielder, shortening the gap, 7-4.
“Right when I hit it, it just felt so good,” Tracey said. “I kind of haven’t been hitting that (well), so it was really nice to finally hit the ball, hard.”
The top of the fourth inning was a tale of impressive catching by Central’s defense. Berlin started it off when her quick reflexes caught a line drive hit directly at her. Bruns finished off the half-inning, jumping to catch a line drive of her own, along with a pop-up.
Bruns continued her success in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI (run batted in) triple to right field. Tracey later attempted a triple of her own with a line drive to right field but was tagged out at third base. She did, however, bring Bruns in, making the score 7-6, and putting Central in a potentially victorious position.
In the fifth inning, Central tied the score 7-7.
Central held LT at seven runs in the sixth inning, thanks to Daleen’s impeccable fielding. Daleen made all three outs, the last one involving a rundown (a situation that occurs when a runner is caught between two bases, and the fielders close in on the runner, throwing the ball back and forth until the runner can either be reached and tagged out, or the runner makes it safely to either base, due to her speed or a bobbled ball). Daleen got the runner out easily by faking a throw to Burr, forcing the runner to run right into her tag.
“I felt really good, (being able to) help out the team, especially Courtney (who pitched the whole game),” Daleen said. “Being able to help her and help the team get out of the inning really helped, especially (given) the position we were in.”
The game remained tied until the bottom of the last inning when Burr clinched the win with a line drive RBI to left field, bringing in Koffron, who was in scoring position after she put herself on base with a double to right center.
