Seniors lead the way in Ottawa’s 7-3 win over Rochelle

OTTAWA – With the Ottawa softball team holding a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth of Wednesday’s Interstate 8 Conference game against Rochelle, the five Pirates seniors who were honored before the contest made their mark.

Karley Herman, Annamaria Corsolini, Tawnee Stehl, Addy Miller and Jacy Miller all came through in different ways in a three-run rally to extend the lead, and the hosts earned a 7-3 victory.

“The best thing for me is that everyone had fun today and everyone contributed,” Corsolini said. “It was special that all of the seniors got to start and then that all of us played a part in us winning the game in some way. Knowing that [all the seniors] came through in that inning makes me happy.”

Ottawa, which is scheduled to host Coal City on Thursday and Sandwich on Friday, improved to 15-10 overall and finished 5-5 for third place in the conference.

Rochelle fell to 7-19 and 0-10.

Ottawa grabbed the lead for good in the first as Rylee Harsted reached on an infield single and scored on a triple to the fence in right off the bat of Piper Lewis, the latter then scoring on a throwing error.

In the Pirates’ fourth, Herman started the frame with a solid line-drive base hit to center and stole second. Corsolini followed with her second hit of the day, this one a double to left to score Herman. Stehl then reached on a perfect bunt single on which Corsolini advanced to third.

Addy Miller plated Corsolini with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-0. Then with Stehl at third after a wild pitch, Lacy Miller made it 5-0 with an RBI groundout.

“That [fourth] inning, while cool that it was led by the five seniors, was also big because it allowed us to give [starting pitcher] Addie [Russell] a break with games coming up the next two days and [sophomore] Audrey [Davis] a chance to get a few more varsity innings.

“Those seniors have done a great job during their careers here in doing things that have helped keep our program growing. Everyone one of them is a great kid, and it was nice to see every one of them have a hand in the win today.”

The Hubs scored three times in the sixth off Davis (2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K), but Russell (Win, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K), who had pitched the opening three innings, came back in relief to strike out three batters to leave the bases loaded.

Ottawa added two runs in the sixth as Stehl coaxed a leadoff walk, moved to third on a single by Addy Miller and scored on a sac fly by Lacy Miller. Harsted then drove in Addy Miller with a single to close out the scoring.

Russell retired the side in order in the seventh on four pitches to close the game.

“I really didn’t come into the game hoping for anything special or any big moments, just for us to win,” Jacy Miller said. “I think we all did what we needed to do and had fun. I didn’t realize it but now hearing that all of us seniors did something good in that one inning is pretty cool.

“This will be a fun game to look back on.”