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Naperville Central scratches out ‘ugly’ victory
Updated: April 30, 2011 9:08PM
Expect nothing less than an exciting finish when the Naperville Central and Naperville North softball teams play.
Saturday’s DuPage Valley Conference clash on Central’s field was no different, as the Redhawks won 2-1 in 9 innings in dramatic fashion.
With the score tied at 1 in the bottom of the ninth, Maddi Doane led off the inning with a single. She moved to second on Dana Dolehide’s sacrifice bunt and scored when pinch hitter Kaitlyn Skarecky, a freshman, reached first on a dropped third strike, followed by a Naperville North throwing error to first base.
“It was an ugly way to win, but it was a win,” said Doane, who admitted the final play of the game was nerve-racking. “We pulled through. (Games against the Huskies) are always going to be tight.”
It was the third consecutive game the Redhawks (12-3, 4-0) have won by a single run. This is also their seventh straight win.
“This is a big one for us,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “The girls are starting to develop a ‘We are going to get this done’ attitude.”
Naperville Central pitcher Alyssa Wunderlich did her part on the mound with 10 strikeouts, including seven in the first three innings. She ended up giving up three hits and three walks. The run allowed was the first for her in 23 innings. The SIU-bound hurler, who got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth with a strikeout, is now 6-2.
“I tried to stay relaxed as much as I could,” Wunderlich said. “(The Huskies are) aggressive hitters. They definitely had some good hacks.”
“(Alyssa was) outstanding today,” Nussbaum said. “They made her work, but she competed the whole way. When they scored their run (in the fifth), it didn’t seem to bother her and her demeanor was the same with that jam in the ninth. She really stepped up her game.”
Naperville North (6-6. 1-3) scored first in the fifth when Danielle Spizzirri led off with a single, moved to second and third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts and home on a wild pitch on a close play at the plate.
Naperville Central tied the game right away in the bottom of the inning when Dolehide led off with a single. Her pinch runner, Rachel Skinner, was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt, third on a wild pitch and was safe at home as Juliet Tassi reached first on an error.
“I thought we’d be able to pull one out here,” Naperville North coach Jerry Kedziora said. “It was a typical Naperville Central/Naperville North game. Every play counts, every pitch counts.”
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