Softball: Foley, Lockport deliver victory over H-F
By Tony Baranek tbaranek@southtownstar.com April 19, 2012 10:12PM
Lockport's Brittany Ruzella dives safely back into third base as H-F's Sydney Battle waits for the throw Thursday. | Judy Fidkowski~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: May 21, 2012 9:01AM
No. 3 Lockport was playing for more than just first place in the SouthWest Suburban Blue in Thursday’s battle at home against Homewood-Flossmoor.
The Porters also were playing for pizza.
“Our physical education administrator said that we could have a pizza party if we win against H-F,” third baseman Allison Foley said. “So that was a big motivation.”
After a 7-0 romp, the Porters should be pretty hungry.
Foley earned her slices by going 3-for-3, including an RBI double in the second inning that drove in Ashley London (single) with the first run of the game.
Lockport (14-5, 4-0) also had major contributors in Bri Carney (2-for-4), Melissa Stoch (2-for-4) and Tierney Bottino (2-for-3, 2 RBI). Carly Dundee went the distance in the circle, scattering four hits while striking out seven.
Haley Gibbons had a double, while Sydney Battle reached three times for H-F (10-7, 3-1).
The Vikings stunned Lockport in a conference meeting last year on a walk-off grand slam by then-senior Jess Markanich. They tried to get a jump on the Porters this time as well, but failed to make good on some golden early chances.
Bad baserunning saw an H-F player thrown out at the plate in the first inning. Dundee pitched out of a two-out bases-loaded situation in the second with a strikeout. Gibbons led off the H-F third with a double, but was stranded at third.
“That’s a good-hitting team,” Dundee said of the Vikings. “I really had to come in with my head on and hit my spots throughout the whole game. I always have trouble with the first inning, but (today) my catcher (Carney) figured out what we needed to do and I got my groove.”
The Porters totaled 13 hits against H-F pitcher Sarah Burke and scored in four consecutive innings from the second through fifth.
Brittany Bickelman contributed an RBI double in the third that made it 2-0, while Foley, Bottino, Carney and Stoch had hits in a three-run fourth. Bottino drove in the sixth run with a double in the fifth.
Foley, however, had the biggest day at the plate.
“(Assistant coach) Angela Findlay has been working on keeping my hands up because I’ve been popping up,” Foley said. “This game I had my hands up and that’s what was my big improvement.”
