Softball: Maine West edges Vernon Hills to remain undefeated

When Maine West softball co-coaches Chris Addante and Jim Dvorak watched their team claim an undefeated Central Suburban North championship in 2024, the Warriors closest call in eight games was a 2-1 decision with Vernon Hills.

Those two teams opened play in the CSL North on Tuesday and it was yet another 1-run decision, as the host Warriors held on for a 6-5 decision to remain undefeated on the season 6-0.

"It's always a great game every time we play them, whether it's here or there," Addante said. "It was a battle from the start. They're a great team."

The Cougars (1-11, 0-1) got off to a great start scoring 3 runs in the top of the first, thanks to Lily Kozin's two-out RBI ground-rule double which rolled under the center field fence followed by Ryley Bautista's sharply hit 2-run single to left center that scored Kozen and Izzy Loiben.

But West answered right back with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning when Ily Nanthavinh and Abi Garcia started with walks followed by Kara Lindenmuth's bunt single to load the bases.

McKayla Garnett then belted a 2-run double to center field to make it 3-2 before senior pitcher Kaittyn Marsh's sacrifice fly to center brought home the tying run.

West then completed its scoring with 3 runs in the bottom of the second. Sammi Mattson and Nanthavinh hit back-to-back two-out singles to left before Garcia belted the game-winning RBI with a home run over the left-center fence on the first pitch she saw.

"Honestly, I've been in a bit of a slump lately, so I was just looking to make some solid contact," said Garcia, the Warriors’ standout shortstop. "That's always the mindset I have.going up to the plate. So the outcome I had was really great."

"She squared that thing up, hit it solid and kept it on a line all the way out," Addante said of Garcia's third homer of the season. And then in her next at-bat she just hit a smash, too, and their shortstop made a great back-hand play on it. But that's all we can ask — put a barrel on the ball and hit the ball hard." If it falls, it falls."

Marsh did not give up another run until the sixth when cleanup hitter Annie Zbylut led off with a first-pitch homer to left field to make it 6-4. After a walk to Kozin and two strikeouts, No. 8 hitter and pitcher Gia Gossetr came through with a two-out RBI single to right center to make it 6-5.

That meant to get to 6-0, Whitewater pledge Marsh had to bear down in the top of the seventh.

"I just went out there trusting my defense," she said. "I knew my defense would get me the last outs. They always help me in the long run."

Sure enough, a fly out to Nanthavinh in right field, ground out to Lindemuth (2-for-3) at second base and a pop out to Garcia at short got the job done for Marsh, who struck out seven and walked three, tossing a 5-hitter.

"Kaitlyn battled on the mound for us," Addante said. "It was a hitter's day so both pitchers had to battle and work the ball in and out and mix it up. Kaitlyn was able to grind out a tough win."

"She's (Marsh) tough but we didn't make good selections," said Vernon Hills coach Jan Pauly. "We took too many pitches and got behind in too many counts and you can't do that against a good pitcher."

Sophomore Gossett gave up 6 hits while striking out four.

"She's a sophomore and it's her first year on varsity," Pauly said. "In our opinion she threw a good game. Her ball moves a little."

Loiben reached base three times with a first-inning single and two walks. She also got robbed when her hard shot hit off the third baseman's glove and ended up a nifty 5-6-3 defensive play by West.

"We went two innings (fourth and fifth) without a base runner and we talked about how we needed to get runners on base every inning to beat these good teams," Pauly added. "We hung in there. We just needed a little something else in those innings to make something happen."

"The conditions were a little difficult today for both sides with the wind gusting and the cold weather," Addante said. "But we both had to play through it and both teams made some big plays and had some great hits."