As a player at Oak Park and River Forest High School, losing didn’t happen often for first-year Trinity softball coach Chardonnay Harris. The Huskies were back-to-back IHSA Class 4A state champions in 2016 and 2017, and Harris was 19-0 with a 0.29 earned run average in her senior campaign.
With the Blazers’ program fielding only a varsity team this spring, some growing pains were expected, with one sophomore and five freshmen on the roster. And that has proven to be the case as Trinity enters this week with a 4-15 record with a five-game losing streak.
But the Blazers have been competitive for the most part, as six of their losses have come by four runs or less. The last three games, however, have yielded difficult defeats.
On April 30, Trinity gave up nine runs in the first inning against visiting DePaul Prep. But the Blazers’ bats came alive and sparked a furious rally that pulled them within one after six. Unfortunately, the Rams iced things with a three-run seventh and prevailed 16-12.
On May 2, Trinity led Wheaton St. Francis 8-5 after six. But the visiting Spartans staged a five-run rally in the top of the seventh to stun the Blazers 10-8.
Two days later at IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst, Trinity banged out 15 hits, including three apiece by Kendall Hynes and Aly Lopez. But it wasn’t enough as the Knights broke open a tight game with a four-run sixth to seal a 9-5 victory.
There are some bright spots for the Blazers, particularly at bat. Lopez, a freshman, leads the team with a .542 batting average, while Hynes, a senior, is hitting .476 with 16 RBI. Junior Claire Rambasek has a .500 average. Senior Sofia Samatas is hitting .452; senior Anais Fernandez, .393 with a team-high 18 RBI; and sophomore Grace Samatas, Sofia’s sister, is hitting .344.
The problem for Trinity has been pitching. The Blazers have a posted a team ERA of 9.40, which makes it difficult for any team to win games even if the offense produces. The good news is that Lopez and Grace Samatas are gaining much-needed experience in the circle, which should serve them well in the future.
Trinity’s goal is to finish the season strong and lay a foundation for the next few years. While she’d like to have a few more victories this year, Harris is taking a long-term approach to building the Blazers’ program.
