Softball: L-P makes adjustments, earns first win of season

LA SALLE – After struggling offensively in a season-opening loss Monday, the La Salle-Peru softball team worked on its approach at the plate during Tuesday’s practice.

On Wednesday, that work paid off.

The Cavaliers cut their strikeouts down from nine to four, had seven hits and scored in four of six innings and beat Bloomington 10-0 in six innings in a nonconference game.

“I think we did a lot better,” L-P senior Ava Lambert said. “We made adjustments. We worked on stuff a lot at practice from the last game and we fixed a lot of mistakes.

“We took easier swings. I was casting out on my swing. I just really worked on doing stuff like that. And then situational stuff like thinking of where to put the ball, where the runners are and stuff like that.”

“We made adjustments. We worked on stuff a lot at practice from the last game and we fixed a lot of mistakes.”

—  Ava Lambert, L-P senior

The win was L-P’s first at its new field at the L-P Sports Complex.

“It feels really good,” L-P sophomore Taylor Vescogni said. “Monday we didn’t take the best approach. But today we came back ready to win and we competed.”

The Cavs struck for two runs in the second inning on a two-run single by Allie Thome.

L-P tacked on four more in the third.

Kelsey Frederick, Vescogni and Anna Riva hit three consecutive RBI singles with two outs. Riva came all the way around to score on her hit when she advanced to second on the throw home and the throw to second went into center field.

“On Monday they came in with the wind blowing out and every swing was as hard as they could, and that’s just not the way I approach it,” L-P coach Randy Huebbe said. “We let them know after that game the next day we were going to work on some things. We worked on just putting the bat on the ball because we just can’t strike out nine times. That’s nine times you can give them to make an error.

“Every one of them listened. We talked about making in-game adjustments on their own instead of us having to tell them, and I saw that. They were talking to each other. I saw them move up in the box when the second pitcher came in. It was a joy to see.”

L-P scored three more in the third when Izzy Pecchio scored on a wild pitch, Callie Mertes had an RBI single, and Brie Rupert drew a bases-loaded walk.

Lambert ended the game in the bottom of the sixth when she launched the ball over the left-center field fence for the first home run at the new field.

“It’s amazing,” said Lambert, who finished 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. “I was nervous because last game I didn’t do as good as I wanted to. I’m really happy that I was able to do it.”

The offense was more than enough for Vescogni in the circle.

Vescogni pitched five shutout innings, allowing one hit while striking out 11 batters and walking just one.

“I just focused on getting ahead,” Vescogni said. “That’s been one of the things I’ve been working on is getting that first-pitch strike so I can work ahead with some of my movement stuff.”

Mertes pitched a perfect sixth inning for L-P (1-1).