STREATOR – The Streator Bulldogs struck for four runs in the home half of the first inning Monday against Illinois Central Eight Conference rival Reed-Custer.
It turned out they needed them.
Streator held on for a 6-4 victory at the SHS Athletic Fields. The Bulldogs built a 6-0 cushion that absorbed Reed-Custer’s four-run top of the sixth to improve to 4-1 overall this season and 3-0 in the IC8 heading into Tuesday’s visit to Braidwood. The Comets fell to 0-3 overall and in conference play.
The Bulldogs’ fast start set the tone for the game. Leadoff batter Jadyn Hansen, Jaelyn Blakemore, Hannah Gotch and Maci Byers went back-to-back-to-back-to-back with base hits to open the bottom of the first, with Byers’ single a two-run grounder up the middle followed by an Anna Schmitz two-RBI single to right-center to give the hosts a 4-0 lead.
“I think we all pick up each other,” Byers said, “and when someone gets a good hit, the next one follows. Our hitting is very reliable, I feel like, and it carried us.”
Streator added what proved to be two pivotal runs in the home half of the fifth. Byers started the rally with a seeing-eye single, designated player Kadence Ondrey singled, and No. 8 hitter Mia Wyatt and No. 9 batter Anna Hoffmeyer added RBIs to drive courtesy runner Emma Augustine and Anna Schmitz home.
“We’re having the trouble of coming out on fire for three or four innings, hitting the ball, and then we’re falling asleep,” Streator coach Louis Ondrey said. “Our dugout is taking a nap, but then all of a sudden [at the end of the game] we’re pulling together, getting a little fire. We let the momentum switch, but then we bring it right back to us.
“We have to figure out how to get through that and play the other three or four innings.”
That insurance proved vital when Reed-Custer on the third time through the order seemed to better handle Bulldogs ace Jadyn Hansen, striking for four runs. Mya Beard’s single was followed by run-scoring doubles from Grace Cavanaugh and Naomi Gomez – Gomez’s a two-run moonshot to left field.
“That first inning, if we could take it back, I think we’d be a lot better off,” Reed-Custer coach Nick Arndt said. “That four-run first inning really put us behind. We’ve been getting ahead early, so today was different. ... I think some of the girls, after they saw [Hansen’s] speed, they made the adjustment to the back of the box, they shortened up their swing, they eliminated that front step some.
“It was fun to compete today. We’ve been 10-runned, so I think this got our confidence up some, and I just hope we come out ready to play.”
Hansen, however, got a strikeout to end the threat in the sixth and then struck out the side 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to put away the victory. The senior finished going seven innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and one walk, and striking out 15.
Hansen also helped herself with three singles from the leadoff spot. Byers had two hits and two RBIs, Blakemore and Ondrey had two hits apiece, and Schmitz finished with two RBIs.
“I’ve kind of been looking for that, our bats coming alive,” Ondrey said. “It was good to see.”
Gomez with two hits and the two RBIs led the Comets, with Beard also providing two hits. Grace Moyers (6 IP, 5 ER, 12 H, 0 BB, 5 K) suffered the pitching loss.
The Comets and Bulldogs meet again Tuesday to wrap up their two-game IC8 series.