Post by thedoanezone on Apr 30, 2009 10:24:46 GMT -5
Sorry for the delay in getting game summaries to "print". Here are our three games in Northlake from 4/18. Elk Grove write-ups from 4/25 are in the pipeline! Enjoy!!
The Spring Hawks opened the season against a much hyped Romeoville Revolution and played them to a 0-0 draw. On paper Homer came out ahead in every category with a dominant advantage in the circle. Hawk’s ace, Elaine “L Train” Heflin, got the nod for the start and delivered a gem, striking out 14 while surrendering just one hit, one walk and a HBP. Again, on paper, the Hawks held every edge offensively, falling victim to the K just twice while putting the ball into play eighteen out of twenty times. Homer had 7 base runners to the Revolution’s three. The Hawks were able to get five different runners in scoring position to the Revolution’s one. Yet, despite the chances given them, the Hawks could not score in support of Heflin’s impressive pitching performance. Things did look hopeful in the first inning when Hawks outfielder Maddi Doane doubled into the left center field gap after one was out. But two infield outs left her stranded at third base to end the inning. Two innings later, the Hawks looked poised to break the game open when they loaded the bases with no one out. A leadoff walk to Bridget Stroh, Heflin getting plunked by the Revolution pitcher and an bunt single by Justine McLendon was how the inning started , but a laser by Ali Michalik right at a Romeoville infielder, a force at home and a fly out to right was how frame ended. The Revolution was able to turn back the only other Hawk threat of the game when, in the fifth and with one out, Stroh drew her second free pass of the day but was left at second .
In pool game 2, the Hawks showed some signs of a turnaround as they faced off against Rob Carter’s Rockers, although the hit count (4) was still well below “normal”. Coach Cavin continued to shuffle his lineup, still looking for the right mix. Starting Bridget Stroh in the circle and moving her up in the lineup were two choices that, in a word, were timely. She pitched a complete game shutout, giving up four hits while striking out five Lemont batters. She was also credited with the game winning hit when, in the second inning, she squared off against the Rocker’s hurler and got all of a 3-2 fastball for her first home run of the year. Additionally, she scored the last of the Hawks five runs after drawing a walk in her only other plate appearance. Other Hawks with offensive contributions were Madison Widhalm (Single, 1R, 1RBI), Maddi Doane (Triple, 1RBI) and Sarah Thompson (Single, 1R). The defense played well for the second game in a row with a couple of nice catches in right by recently acquired speedster, Justine McClendon. One such catch was on the front end of a fourth inning double play as McLendon nailed a Rocker runner who had strayed too far from first. Making sure to take outs when they were handed to them, the Hawks also pulled off a perfect pickle as Emily Hastings, Miranda Cavin and Ali Michalik efficiently put the squeeze on a wayward Rocker’s runner in the third inning.
The Hawks ended their day (and as they later learned, the tournament) as they fell to the Northern Ice in the first round of bracket play. Homer was again limited in offensive output as they mustered only three hits, all singles, by Madison Widhalm, Emily Hastings and Bridget Stroh. Elaine Heflin started her second game of the day and again pitched well without offensive support. After fanning six of the first nine batters she faced, Heflin ran into trouble in the fourth inning as the first two batters reached on infield errors. That was all the Ice needed as they plated two unearned runs in the inning to take the lead in an, up until then, scoreless game. Unable to hit the Ice hurler for five innings, the Hawks tried to mount some late inning rallies advancing a runner as far as second base for the first time in the sixth frame. Still looking at a goose-egg, Homer put together a couple of hits in their last at-bat to avoid the shutout, but it was not enough to overcome the four run lead the Ice had built up over the first six innings. A defensive highlight was a sixth inning 6-4-3 double play started by Dominique Roa. A perfect turn by Widhalm at second had the throw to Hawks first baseman, Sarah Thompson, beat the hustling Ice runner by a step. The loss sent the Hawks to the loser's bracket where they would have started on Sunday if the weather had cooperated. Instead, more overnight rains made the fields unplayable for Sunday and dashed any Hawk's hopes of fighting back into the Championship game matchup.
The Spring Hawks opened the season against a much hyped Romeoville Revolution and played them to a 0-0 draw. On paper Homer came out ahead in every category with a dominant advantage in the circle. Hawk’s ace, Elaine “L Train” Heflin, got the nod for the start and delivered a gem, striking out 14 while surrendering just one hit, one walk and a HBP. Again, on paper, the Hawks held every edge offensively, falling victim to the K just twice while putting the ball into play eighteen out of twenty times. Homer had 7 base runners to the Revolution’s three. The Hawks were able to get five different runners in scoring position to the Revolution’s one. Yet, despite the chances given them, the Hawks could not score in support of Heflin’s impressive pitching performance. Things did look hopeful in the first inning when Hawks outfielder Maddi Doane doubled into the left center field gap after one was out. But two infield outs left her stranded at third base to end the inning. Two innings later, the Hawks looked poised to break the game open when they loaded the bases with no one out. A leadoff walk to Bridget Stroh, Heflin getting plunked by the Revolution pitcher and an bunt single by Justine McLendon was how the inning started , but a laser by Ali Michalik right at a Romeoville infielder, a force at home and a fly out to right was how frame ended. The Revolution was able to turn back the only other Hawk threat of the game when, in the fifth and with one out, Stroh drew her second free pass of the day but was left at second .
In pool game 2, the Hawks showed some signs of a turnaround as they faced off against Rob Carter’s Rockers, although the hit count (4) was still well below “normal”. Coach Cavin continued to shuffle his lineup, still looking for the right mix. Starting Bridget Stroh in the circle and moving her up in the lineup were two choices that, in a word, were timely. She pitched a complete game shutout, giving up four hits while striking out five Lemont batters. She was also credited with the game winning hit when, in the second inning, she squared off against the Rocker’s hurler and got all of a 3-2 fastball for her first home run of the year. Additionally, she scored the last of the Hawks five runs after drawing a walk in her only other plate appearance. Other Hawks with offensive contributions were Madison Widhalm (Single, 1R, 1RBI), Maddi Doane (Triple, 1RBI) and Sarah Thompson (Single, 1R). The defense played well for the second game in a row with a couple of nice catches in right by recently acquired speedster, Justine McClendon. One such catch was on the front end of a fourth inning double play as McLendon nailed a Rocker runner who had strayed too far from first. Making sure to take outs when they were handed to them, the Hawks also pulled off a perfect pickle as Emily Hastings, Miranda Cavin and Ali Michalik efficiently put the squeeze on a wayward Rocker’s runner in the third inning.
The Hawks ended their day (and as they later learned, the tournament) as they fell to the Northern Ice in the first round of bracket play. Homer was again limited in offensive output as they mustered only three hits, all singles, by Madison Widhalm, Emily Hastings and Bridget Stroh. Elaine Heflin started her second game of the day and again pitched well without offensive support. After fanning six of the first nine batters she faced, Heflin ran into trouble in the fourth inning as the first two batters reached on infield errors. That was all the Ice needed as they plated two unearned runs in the inning to take the lead in an, up until then, scoreless game. Unable to hit the Ice hurler for five innings, the Hawks tried to mount some late inning rallies advancing a runner as far as second base for the first time in the sixth frame. Still looking at a goose-egg, Homer put together a couple of hits in their last at-bat to avoid the shutout, but it was not enough to overcome the four run lead the Ice had built up over the first six innings. A defensive highlight was a sixth inning 6-4-3 double play started by Dominique Roa. A perfect turn by Widhalm at second had the throw to Hawks first baseman, Sarah Thompson, beat the hustling Ice runner by a step. The loss sent the Hawks to the loser's bracket where they would have started on Sunday if the weather had cooperated. Instead, more overnight rains made the fields unplayable for Sunday and dashed any Hawk's hopes of fighting back into the Championship game matchup.