Softball: Furlano’s arm, bat leads Lake Park to hard-fought win over Glenbard North
Gianna Furlano struck out 11 and launched a pivotal fifth inning home run as Lake Park (12-2, 3-0) kept its red hot season rolling with a 3-1 conference victory over Glenbard North in Carol Stream on Saturday.
“I knew she was gonna throw me inside,” said a smiling Furlano, recalling the 3-1 offering that she laced over the leftfield wall. “I was just thinking, ‘swing’ because I pretty much knew that's what she was gonna pitch.”
The loud solo shot gave the Lancers a 2-0 lead and proved to be the decisive swing of the game, as Furlano puzzled the Panthers (9-2, 1-2) all day long on her way to authoring a one-run complete game effort.
“Furlano was locked and loaded from the moment she stepped in [for] warmups this morning,” said Lancers coach Lynsey Gunnells. “I just knew it was gonna be a good day because she was so focused and ready to go.”
That focus was needed, as the Panthers were certainly pesty. They forced Furlano to walk the tightrope often, putting their first batter on base in six of seven innings.
Glenbard North leadoff hitter Lauren Kozlovsky reached on a walk in the first inning, forcing Furlano to strike out the next three batters, and establishing a pattern for the afternoon.
“I felt early on we were chasing a little up,” said Glenbard North coach Josh Sanew. “We really wanted to make sure we stay off the high stuff against her…she's a great pitcher.”
Furlano punched her way out of trouble time and time again, striking out two more in both the second and third innings after the Panthers reached to begin both of those frames as well.
The Lake Park ace will carry a 9-1 record and 71 strikeouts across 60 1/3 innings into her next outing.
Despite taking the loss, Glenbard North starter Avery Miller managed to keep the Panthers in it throughout. She also worked 7 innings, limiting a typically high scoring Lake Park offense to only four hits while striking out six with no free passes.
“[Miller] kept them off balance, she moved her pitches in and out on them,” said Sanew, about his starter.
It was a scoreless affair entering the fourth inning when Lake Park’s Alexandra Kiefer gave the Lancers a 1-0 advantage with her third home run of the year.
“The bats have been hot,” said Kiefer, who carries a .354 average after today’s game. “I think it is a total team effort. We're all working well together. Communication is great and we're just having fun.”
Furlano’s home run momentarily made it 2-0 before the Lancers drove in an additional fifth inning insurance run on an RBI double by Ariana O’Connell.
“They got two good swings on the ball and hit them out,” added Sanew. “Kind of left it up a little bit, but there's nothing you can do about that.”
Glenbard North managed to make it dramatic late, leading off the seventh by reaching once again as Kylee Sisco slapped a single through the infield.
After a Panthers fly out, Tru Medina roped a double to put runners on second and third before Furlano slammed the door shut one last time, getting a pair of swinging strikeouts to end the game.
“She just moves the ball very well,” added Gunnells. “We've been working a lot on pitching to the counts and that really paid off today…Ava Arnes, our catcher, called every pitch of that game and she did amazing.”
Both teams will resume play Monday. Lake Park heads to Wheaton Warrenville South while Glenbard North welcomes St. Charles North to begin another busy week of conference play.