Huskies survive scare

Sara Hutchinson isn’t looking for an easy time on the mound.

While the senior pitcher understands her job is easier when Oak Park is way ahead, she’d prefer the game to be close and her job to be difficult.

On Thursday in her first start of the season, she got exactly that.

Hutchinson and the Huskies got all they could handle from visiting Trinity, and survived a near upset by the Blazers 4-3 when Megan White’s bloop single into left field scored Maggie Paoli for the game-winner in the eighth inning.

“I like the closer games better than the blowouts,” said Hutchinson, who had her previous four starts canceled due to the weather. “It’s more exciting. You get to see what your team is made of.”

She liked what she saw of the Huskies (2-0) on Thursday.

The Blazers (6-2) started handing Oak Park some adversity in the fifth inning. Trailing 2-0 and the rain beginning to come down harder, Trinity began its comeback with a solo shot over the center field fence by Lauren Wambach, the team’s eighth hitter. Monica Albano and Vivi Castellanos added RBI, and the Blazers went ahead.

The game stayed at 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, Lauren Gonzalez knocked in White for the game-tying run with a single to left field.

In the top of the eighth, Trinity started off with a double by Albano. Fatigued, Hutchinson dug deep and retired the following three hitters, which included back-to-back strikeouts to close the inning.

“That’s what a good player does,” Oak Park coach Mel Kobusz said. “When the chips are in, they come through.”

Hutchinson pitched eight inning, allowed six hits and one earned run and struck out 13 hitters.

In the bottom of the inning, Paoli led off and reached first on an infield error. She was moved to second by a sacrifice bunt by Hutchinson. Following a strikeout, White provided the final heroics.

“I never lost confidence,” Hutchinson said. “I knew our team is really tough.”