Lockport 5 8
OPRF 2 3
The OPRF softball team may have lost more than just two games to Lockport on Saturday.
Three outfielders suffered injuries in the Huskies’ 5-2 and 8-3 losses to the Porters on a cold and blustery afternoon. Add in the fact that Ali Waterman is likely out for the season with a broken wrist suffered two weeks ago against Glenbrook North and OPRF head coach Mel Kolbusz may soon be tapping into the junior varsity squad for players.
OPRF’s Teru Kiefer pulled a thigh muscle when running out a grounder and Kim Grimes hurt her leg sliding during Game 2. Asia Babbington fouled a ball off of her ankle during her last at bat. All three players were forced out of the game.
“To lose hurts. To have three players suffer injuries during the losses, that’s even worse,” said Kolbusz. “But we will evaluate everyone this week and go from there.”
Seana Stillson (8-6) took the loss in the opener. Stillson allowed five runs-three earned-off six hits in six innings. The senior struckout seven and walked two.
OPRF’s Janie Brennan tied the game 1-1 in the fourth with a solo homer. Lockport came back by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning, three of which were due to two errors by the Huskies (17-7, 8-0).
“This was simply the best hitting opponent we’ve seen since we took on the team from Alabama at the Wendy’s Classic in Ohio,” said Kolbusz. “It didn’t help that we gave them a couple of runs by kicking the ball around.”
In Game 2, Sara Hutchinson (8-3) had trouble keeping the Porters off the base paths. Hutchinson allowed eight runs-five earned-off 11 hits.
OPRF scored two runs in the third inning when Maggie Paoli blasted a two-run double. But Lockport soon answered with five runs in the fourth off of five hits.
On Friday, OPRF blanked Hinsdale Central 10-0 in five innings to push its West Suburban (silver) Conference record to eight straight wins. The Huskies are in line for securing their third straight conference title.
Earlier last week, the Huskies downed York and Resurrection. On April 30, Stillson went seven innings and gave up just two hits in a 4-0 shutout of the Dukes. She finished with 12 strikeouts and no walks. Two-run homers by Grimes and Mara Blesoff gave the Huskies all the runs they needed.
The day before, Hutchinson fanned 11 to lead her team to a 5-1 win over Resurrection. Paoli had a home run and two RBIs in that win.
The Huskies travel to Downers South on Saturday to take on the host and New Trier in a doubleheader.