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Vest’s return sparks Kaneland
Updated: May 9, 2011 10:40PM
Delani Vest made her first start of the season Monday, and she immediately provided a boost to the Kaneland Knights.
She didn’t toss a no-hitter or smack a grand slam, but her mere presence seemed to lift her teammates. Vest pitched out of several jams while the Knights played solid defense and executed offensively in a 9-2 victory over Oswego East. The nonconference win snapped a seven-game skid.
“It’s been a while since we did that, so it felt good,” Kaneland coach Brian Willis said. “The girls played like I know they can play and like they know they can play.
“I hate to put it all on one person’s shoulders, but it’s clear we’re a better team and a more confident team with Delani. We haven’t had her all year. By having her back maybe subconsciously they thought, ‘Our leader’s back and we’re ready to play.’”
The Knights (11-15) seized a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Capitalizing on a pair of walks and putting the bat on the ball, the Knights handed Vest the lead. Delani’s sister, Rilee, opened the frame with a single to left field and Brittney Miller followed with a walk. McKinzie Mangers knocked in courtesy runner Morgan Newhouse with a base hit to center field and Sam Hansen drew a walk to load bases for Vest.
Vest hit a grounder to third base for fielder’s choice, but Miller scored when the umpire ruled the Wolves’ catcher was not on home plate for the force out. Allyson O’Herron earned a RBI with a flyout and Andrea Potts added the fourth run with a groundout.
Oswego East answered with consecutive hits by Bri Wright and Julia Johnson to leadoff the bottom of the second inning, but Wright was forced out and Johnson was picked off second base before Vest fanned the next batter to end the threat. Catcher Rilee Vest fired a throw to Hansen at second base and Johnson was a step late.
“We don’t really call that play; we usually just trust each other and throw it down,” Rilee Vest said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
It worked again in the fourth inning to end the inning. The Wolves (10-14) managed to cut the deficit in half in the fifth frame. Dana Schwartz and Michaela Tschida singled before Russell snuck a grounder through the infield for a RBI. Brittany Warnecke added a sacrifice fly to trim the margin to 4-2.
Kaneland swung the momentum in its favor with three runs in the sixth inning. Rilee Vest and Miller singled to open the frame and Delani Vest delivered a two-out, two-run single with a liner to right field. She later scored on a throwing error.
“Today was definitely one of our better days,” Delani Vest said. “We executed well and my defense was diving for balls. We got on and moved around the bases.
“When you see a good pitch and there’s two outs you have to hit it,” Vest added. “I have to credit my defense though. They made the plays all day.”
Kaneland tacked on two runs in the seventh inning. Sarah Kitz scored on a wild pitch and Katy Dudzinski, who doubled, crossed the plate when Mangers singled.
“They had a couple of key plays that hurt our momentum,” Oswego East coach Danielle Lee said. “They were aggressive and we were lacking that today. We didn’t have that intensity, but we’ve got some time to get that back before regionals.”
With Vest returning, so has the confidence for Kaneland.
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