Sycamore pitcher Bella Jacobs came a walk away from a perfect game. DeKalb only put the ball in play three times, and only once in fair territory.

Her 12-strikeout performance was more than enough as the Spartans capitalized early on some Barbs errors, then started slapping the ball around in the fifth for a 10-0 win over their rivals at Mary M. Bell Field at NIU in DeKalb on Thursday.

The win was the 400th of Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter’s career and took place on the field where she played her college ball.

“We all talk all the time how grateful we are for Coach Carp,” said Jacobs, who will play for a Bradley team next year that made the trip to DeKalb for an April doubleheader. “I think there aren’t many coaches like her. I think we all know how lucky we are, and we all appreciate everything she does for us.

“We’re all really proud and really happy for her.”

Carpenter played shortstop for NIU from 1997 until 2000, appearing in 212 games. She hit .300 for her career, scoring 126 times. She also coached for the Huskies early in her career.

She said she didn’t know she was sitting on 399 career wins coming into the game, and said that returning to Mary M. Bell Field brings up a lot of warm, fuzzy feelings.

Her father, Roger Carpenter, died from ALS in 2020. They received the diagnosis about six months after the Spartans won the Class 3A state championship on June 8, 2019, Carpenter said.

“My dad’s no longer here, and he came to everything. Same with my grandpa,” Carpenter said. “Really, really special four years for me here. ... It’s a very interesting extra to the longevity of being around long enough to have 400 wins. So it is a little special.”

The Spartans (23-4) scored four runs in the first, three of them unearned off DeKalb starter Jasmine Rodriguez. It was the second game of the day for the Barbs (14-13), who lost 14-3 to DuPage Valley Conference foe Neuqua Valley. Kairi Lantz and Cami Knox had RBI doubles in the inning.

The Spartans added unearned runs in the third and fourth, then tacked on four more in the fifth to secure the run-rule win. Lantz had another RBI double, Addison Armstrong added a run-scoring double, and Ellison Hallahan had a walk-off single.

The only ball DeKalb put in play out of the infield off Jacobs was a deep fly ball to left by Sarah Foltz. Callie Countryman, after taking a step in, backpedalled and made the catch over her shoulder.

“She really likes the big moment,” Carpenter said. “This is going to be a future spot for her, playing on Division I fields. So to get to do that is pretty fun.”

Knox had three hits and two RBIs for Sycamore. Lantz, Countryman and Grace Caldwell also drove in two runs each. Countryman scored twice.

Each team has one more game left before the postseason begins. For Sycamore, that’s a Friday contest at Marengo. The Barbs have another DVC make-up game against DVC front-runner Naperville Central.

It’ll be the 11th game in 13 days for DeKalb. After starting the week with an 11-1 win against Naperville North, the Barbs have lost four in a row by double digits.

“They’re tough ballplayers; they want to win,” DeKalb coach Erica Swan said. “I keep reassuring them that we go out there, we do the best we can every game. We want to come away with a win, but it’s about working on the fundamentals and staying positive, knowing that sometimes you just gotta go out there and get through it.”