Softball: Hampshire cruises to Larkin slugfest title
Dominance.
Hampshire, which outscored three opponents 51-4 and won all three games by the 10-run rule, capped the day with a 5-inning 17-0 win over Geneva.
The easy win gave the Whip-Purs the championship of the Larkin Slugfest Saturday at the Elgin Sports Complex. Hampshire defeated ITW Spears 21-4 and Larkin 13-0 to advance to the title game.
Hampshire, 11-3, pounded out 22 hits in the 5-inning championship win.
Mia Robinson powered the Whip-Purs with a 3-for-4 performance which included a 2-run homer and 5 RBI.
"I was just looking to hit the ball hard every time and not over-think," said Robinson. “I wasn't forcing anything."
No. 9 hitter Alexa Schuring produced a 4-for-4 day with 2 doubles and 4 RBI. Melissa Johnson delivered 3 hits with 2 runs scored.
Bria Reibel (solo homer). Ally LeBlanc, Chloe Van Horn (4 runs scored) and Alice Sondegard (4 runs scored, 3 RBI) each provided 2 hits.
Julissa Akins, in 5 innings pitched, scattered 4 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks.
"It is easy to pitch with our great defense and hitting," said Akins. “Our goal was to win the tournament and we played well."
Coach Jeremy Bauer was impressed with his team’s performance.
"We made some mistakes in the first game (ITW Spears) but the last 2 games we played well," said Bauer. “The kids are being smart at the plate but not trying to hit homers. They are trying to hit the ball in the gaps. We have 12 different kids who have hit homers. We had solid pitching."
Kat Cerwin had a double for the Vikings, who were 2-1 on the day.
"We had a good day," said Geneva coach Annie Plackett. “We play single games and aren't used to playing 3 games in a day. The pitchers aren't used to pitching that much."
In the semifinals, Geneva beat Bartlett, 10-9. The Vikings, which defeated Elgin 20-0 in the first round in 5 innings, rallied with 5 runs in the sixth and the game-deciding run in the seventh.
"The kids never gave up," said Plackett. “The kids were locked in."
The 5-run sixth was spearheaded by a 2-run double by Megan O Connor and a 2-run single by Kaitlyn Sprague. Sprague, 3-for-4 in the game, delivered a RBI single in the seventh.
Geneva, which collected 12 hits, got 2 hits each from O Connor, Sloane Fisher, Kylie Gates and Chase Salnick.Madison. Gates picked up the win in relief.
Bartlett, which produced 14 hits, got 2 hits each from Christina Stankus, Addison Moore, Callyn New, Emma Engels (2-run homer, RBI double), Susanna Piaskowski and Analia Hoffman. Bartlett edged Dundee-Crown 4-3 in the first round.
Hampshire advanced with a 13-0 win over Larkin. Robinson and Chloe Van Horn crushed 3-run homers and Mariah Becera had a solo homer for the Whip-Purs.
Ally LeBlanc, Addison Edler, Reibel and Akins each had 2 hits for the winners.
Morgan Trent spun a 2-hit shutout in 5 innings.