Kaneland senior Natalie Naab smacked a pitch that soared into left field.

La Salle-Peru left fielder Lydia Steinbach ran back toward the wall.

“She started backing up and I was just like, ‘Wait a minute, is she going all the way back?’” Naab said. “I saw her stop and I was like, ‘OK, it’s gone.’”

Naab’s bomb hit off the top of the scoreboard in left field for a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning that gave the Knights a 3-1 Interstate 8 Conference victory in La Salle.

“I was pretty excited because that was my first home run, so I was very emotional,” said Naab, who was mobbed by her teammates at home plate. “Everyone supporting me made the moment even better.”

Kaneland ace Brynn Woods kept the Cavaliers off the board in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the win.

After giving up a leadoff double to L-P right fielder Anna Riva, Woods induced a popout and then struck out the final two batters to finish off a one-hitter.

“That first hit was a good hit up the line,” Woods said. “She was waiting for that changeup. That’s OK though. I knew that I had my teammates behind me. I knew they would make plays.”

Woods held L-P hitless and allowed only one base runner through the first six innings. Woods walked L-P leadoff hitter Kelsey Frederick, who was later thrown out trying to steal third base, before retiring the next 18 batters. Woods finished with 14 strikeouts.

“The first inning, I didn’t come out too hot,” Woods said. “My pitches weren’t really working the best. I got in the bullpen after that first inning and I worked on most of my pitches. Then I got back out and started throwing my curveball a little bit better. My changeup was working today. I just got back to work out there and never gave up.”

L-P senior center fielder Karmen Piano ended the no-hitter with authority when she launched a solo homer to left-center field to tie the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

“We knew what she was going to do,” L-P coach Randy Huebbe said about Woods. “She did exactly what we thought she was going to do, but we lost our aggressiveness. You cannot fall behind a pitcher like her and we were taking the first strike almost every batter and then she’s able to throw whatever she wants. She’s one heck of a pitcher. I have all the respect in the world for her.

While Woods shut down the Cavs, L-P ace Taylor Vescogni also made things difficult for the Knights.

Vescogni gave up one run on two hits with 12 strikeouts and seven walks in six innings.

Kaneland scored in the top of the third when Riley Cooper drew a walk and was able to advance all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt when L-P was late to cover third base.

Cooper then scored on a dropped third strike when L-P catcher Makenzie Chamberlain had to throw to first for the out.

“Good for them for being aggressive, I mean, that’s what I want us to do, but all we had to do is make a fake and we had that girl and we win the game on the home run,” Huebbe said. “You can’t go back and change it. We have to learn from it and just get better.”

The Knights improved to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference, winning a close game after losing 4-2 to Ottawa and 4-1 to Sycamore.

“The conference is competitive every year,” Kaneland coach Mike Kuefler said. “Every one of these teams are prepared. Taking care of business today here with L-P, that’s big. We struggled a little bit early in conference and these are the type of games that are going to let us hold on to potentially a higher spot in the conference race.”

L-P slipped to 13-9 overall and 1-3 in conference with all three league losses coming in eight innings.