Russell twins shine for North Stars

Updated: June 8, 2011 7:55PM

Although they are twins, Sydney and Taylor Russell couldn’t take a more opposite approach in the batter’s box.

Together, though, they embody the entire St. Charles North offense — one which can strike in any number of different ways when it takes on New Trier at 7 p.m. Friday in the school’s first-ever state Class 4A softball semifinal in East Peoria.

“Taylor is a power hitter but also a real intelligent hitter who can go the other way and hits for high average and Sydney is just a master at getting on base,” St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said.

Taylor, who hits third, takes a .459 batting average with a team-high seven home runs and 44 RBI into the matchup with the Trevians, while Sydney owns a .427 mark with 19 RBI and 21 runs scored batting in the leadoff spot.

To many of the coaches at North, not having the Russells around next year will seem unnatural.

“I’ve known them since they came to our basketball camp in third grade — the little twins who would run around saying, ‘Coach Poulin, coach Poulin,’” Poulin recalled. “Then they were always coming to basketball or other sports at North.

“Sidney came in purely as a slap-style of hitter and eventually has turned to standing in there and swinging. She’s able to take more than one approach.”

The slap style of hitting is not easy to pick up, but the Stars have three others who are doing it in Natalie Capone, Lauren Cihlar and Sabrina Rabin. In fact, Cihlar is so good at it that she gives lessons and taught the style to Rabin.

So the conversion Sydney made to a more conventional style worked out well for the Stars.

“When I was younger I was really fast and that made it easier to develop that style because I could get down the line quick,” Sydney said. “I can still go back to that style if I want, change things up.”

Having the conventional batting style worked to Sydney’s advantage late in the season when she suffered an ankle sprain that cost her eight games. A tough injury for a batter who depends solely on her speed.

“It’s probably around 90 percent now,” she said.

Taylor, the team’s third baseman, earned Courier-News Player of the Year honors last season and hasn’t slowed down as a senior. What she finds most gratifying about her senior season has been the team success as opposed to her impressive numbers.

“It’s great to be a part of this lineup,” she said. “Every one of our hitters one to nine is capable of doing something with the bat and putting pressure on the defense.”

Having both been on the North team favored for a postseason run in 2010 before losing in the first round of regionals to York, they’re finding it gratifying to go beyond expectations. Taylor, in fact, admits to having a bit of a chip on her shoulder about it.

“A lot of people didn’t believe we could do this,” she said. “It feels great to prove them all wrong.”

They’re also enjoying bragging rights within the family these days. Their sister Linda played for the Stars five years ago.

“They could never get past sectionals, ran up against some tougher teams,” Taylor said.

Often twins want to get apart and do their own thing after high school, but when Sydney and Taylor finish up on the diamond in East Peoria in either the championship game or third-place game Saturday, they’ll be moving on together next fall at University of Indianapolis, an NCAA Division II school.

“We wanted to stay together — that was part of it,” said Taylor, who plans on going into nursing after college. “We had other chances to go to schools apart. Some other places were interested that way, but we liked the idea of playing together.”

They might even run up against some of their old teammates even though they’re in Division II. Capone, Cihlar and cleanup-hitting outfielder Ashley Seering are all going to college on scholarship to Indiana schools: Cihlar to Ball State, Seering to IUPUI and Capone to Indiana State.

With pitcher Amanda Ciran and catcher Annie Korth also going on scholarship to Loyola, it makes seven scholarship athletes next season.

First, there’s this season to finish.

“This is right where we knew we could be all along,” Taylor said.

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