Andrew’s Hofer mows down Stagg

Updated: May 9, 2011 9:21PM

Brooke Hofer picked a good time to throw her first shutout of the season.

Andrew’s junior right-hander fired a two-hitter and blanked No. 4 Stagg 2-0 in a SouthWest Suburban Red battle Monday afternoon in Tinley Park.

With its second victory over Stagg this season, the defending conference champion Thunderbolts (18-8, 9-1) remained in first place in the league, a game ahead of Bradley and Lincoln-Way North. Stagg is now 22-3, 7-3.

“It’s my first shutout and it feels great,” Hofer said. “In the first inning I was a little nervous, but the team was behind me. I tried throwing some different pitches, and it worked.”

Stagg loaded the bases in the top of the first on an error and a pair of walks. Hofer escaped the jam by getting sophomore center fielder Kelly Sistos on a looper that went over senior first baseman Katie Kelly’s head. But sophomore second baseman Jenna Lenza was there to field the ball and outraced Sistos to first for the third out.

That was the first of 13 straight retired by Hofer, who finished with three walks and four strikeouts.

“Brooke wiggled out of the first inning,” Andrew coach Jim Holba said. “She was moving the ball around a lot today and didn’t let the crosswind affect her. There was quality pitching on both sides as Lea LaSota threw well for them too. We knew we had to put the pressure on.”

The T-Bolt pressure came in the bottom of the fifth. Junior third baseman Shannon Rust (3-for-4, 2 doubles) led of the inning with a line drive double to deep left. Junior shortstop Katie Christner sacrificed her to third and her sister, sophomore center fielder Kelly Christner was intentionally walked for the second of three times in the game.

Christner then stole second and, rather than throw there, Stagg junior catcher Jessica Arebalo tried to pick Rust off third. But the ball skipped in and when it got by Charger junior third baseman Catherine Michaels, Rust raced home with the games first run.

“I was just hoping our next hitter could get me in, but when the ball went by the third baseman, I decided to go on my own,” Rust said. “I was so happy to score that first run and get the momentum.”

“Shannon went on her own,” Holba confirmed. “A first and third situation with less than two out is every defenses nightmare, and it great to see her being aggressive.”

Lenza followed with a bunt and when sophomore first baseman Lizzie Rapacz bobbled it, Christner came in to score the second run.

Charger senior second baseman Victoria Dellorto broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single up the middle in the sixth. She moved to second on a ground out, but she was stranded there.

Senior right fielder Danielle Stark led off the seventh with an infield single to deep short and went to second on a throwing error on the play. Sistos walked and the runners moved up when Rust caught a pop-up on a bunt, but threw the ball away at first trying to get a double play.

Hofer bared down and got a short fly out to left and a tapper back to her to end it and hand Stagg its first shutout since losing to Lincoln-Way East by the same 2-0 score in the Class 4A regional title game last season.

The win was the 15th in the past 18 games for the T-Bolts, who started the season 3-5.

“We’ve got going and got on a winning streak,” Rust said. “Everything fell into place and now we feel we are unbeatable.”

Included in the Andrew surge was a 5-4, nine inning win over Stagg on April 20. That was the first loss of the season for the Chargers, who had opened 15-0.

LaSota (19-3) took the loss. The senior righty went the distance, surrendering seven hits, walking six and striking out eight. She stranded 11 T-Bolt runners.

“Anytime in an SWSC game you have to take advantage of opportunities,” Stagg coach Missy Mason said. “We couldn’t capitalize early and came up empty. But give Andrew credit. They had aggressive base running and took advantage of our mistakes.

“We’ll be OK. We are 22-3 and didn’t get there with nothing. We just have to keep working hard.”

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