Softball: McKenzie Oslanzi, Ottawa breeze past Sycamore in I-8 battle

OTTAWA – The gusty winds and temperatures in the mid-40s that combined for a bone-chilling afternoon at Ottawa’s softball diamond may not have had an influence on the Pirates making quick work of visiting Sycamore.

However, getting out of those conditions earlier than expected with a 14-0, five-inning victory over the Spartans was certainly a welcome benefit.

The Pirates began their Interstate 8 Conference encounter Monday with three runs in the first inning, the key blow a two-run home run by McKenzie Oslanzi. Ottawa then kept right on going. In fact, in the first three innings the top three hitters in the Ottawa order – Hailey Larsen, Ryleigh Stehl and Oslanzi – went 9 for 9 with eight RBIs and seven runs scored to lead their team to an 11-0 lead.

“I thought the top [of the order] was doing well, but I didn’t know they were doing that well,” OHS coach Adam Lewis said. “The girls are really starting to get comfortable in the box and are swinging with a little more confidence, and the results of that are turning into runs.”

Oslanzi not only shined at the plate, going 3 for 4 with six RBIs, but also claimed the victory in the circle with a four-hit shutout, striking out nine without a walk to help OHS jump to 10-4, 4-1 in the I-8.

Sycamore falls to 8-9, 3-4.

“I felt really good both pitching and hitting,” Oslanzi said. “We worked well together and competed well together today all up and down the lineup.

“I’m happy with the way we’re playing. We’re having so much fun now, and the fun carries onto play on the field. … Between pitches, I’d have to blow on my hands to warm then up, but other than that, I felt I fought against the weather pretty well.”

Oslanzi gave up an infield single to Thea Boubin in the first, an infield hit to Addison McLaughlin and a single to center to Tia Durst in the third, and a single to center to Brighton Snodgrass in the fifth. In between, she struck out the side in the second and fourth.

After Larsen and Stehl singled in the first off Sycamore starter Rebecca Allen, the former scoring on a wild pitch, Oslanzi followed with a towering drive to right-center for a 3-0 lead. In the second, Molly Buscher walked, and Larsen singled before a run-scoring double by Stehl and a two-run single to right by Oslanzi made it 6-0.

“Ottawa obviously squared some balls up, but they also had some jam-shot hits that fell in, and those really add up,” Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said. “You give up one of those, and you’re mad about that, then they smoke one, and it’s like, ‘Oh, gosh.’ We also had a couple of errors, and you can’t do that when you know you’re facing a really good pitcher like McKenzie.

“You’re just not setting yourself up for success there.”

The third inning put it away. Maura Condon led off with a solo home run, followed by a single by Makenna Chiaventone, a walk to Gianna Leigh and an RBI single by Larsen. Stehl walked to load the bases and, after Chiaventone scored on a wild pitch, Oslanzi ripped another two-RBI single.

Ottawa added three in the fourth off reliever Brighton Snodgrass when Condon doubled and Chiaventone walked before Leigh reached on an RBI grounder that went for an error, plus two wild pitches.

“We’ve actually made a point of trying to bring the kids that are new to the varsity scene along and make a big deal of it when they do stuff right,” Lewis said, “and because of that I feel a little bad for McKenzie. She has been absolutely dominating on the mound. It’s almost where you come to expect it, but we want to make sure she knows no one is taking her for granted.

“It’s pretty special the season she’s putting together right now.”