Softball: Streator sweeps Illinois Central Eight doubleheader over Lisle

STREATOR – In a cold and rainy spring season that has yielded few nice days for playing sports, the Streator softball team used a gorgeous Thursday afternoon to host a doubleheader – both five-inning games – against Illinois Central Eight Conference foe Lisle at the SHS Athletic Fields.

The Bulldogs (8-6, 5-2 ICE), coming off a pair of recent losses, rolled to an opening-game, 12-2 victory, then shrugged off a slow start in the second game to earn the sweep with a 5-2 triumph.

“We came out and played an excellent all-around first game, then in the second game we started very flat,” Streator coach Louis Ondrey said. “No game is ever over before it starts, and we talked about having to be ready to go in any situation. We’ve done the same thing a couple times now this season, and we have to get away from that mentality.

“Overall, I thought we hit the ball pretty well, took advantage of the mistakes Lisle made, and our pitchers did an excellent job. It was nice to finally have a nice day weather-wise to play, and it was nice to get back in the win column.”

Streator 12, Lisle 2

After falling behind, Streator tied the game in its first turn with the bats as leadoff hitter Makenna Ondrey singled, advanced to second on an error and eventually scored on an RBI single off the bat of Maci Byers. In the second, a pair of Lions errors led to a run before a run-scoring groundout by Byers and RBI single by Emma Augustine made it 4-1.

The Bulldogs posted four more runs in the third, starting with Leilani Zavada’s double to the left-field fence. After a Lexi Middleton reached on a fielder’s choice, Mya Zavada doubled down the line in left to score two. Makenna Ondrey then tripled in Zavada before Jaelyn Blakemore’s RBI groundout made it 8-1.

In the fourth, Mya Zavada and Blakemore singled in runs between a pair scoring by errors.

In the circle, Augustine worked the first four innings, allowing one hit, one run, two walks and six strikeouts to record the win, with Leilani Zavada closing the game in the fifth.

“I felt like I did a good job of swinging at good pitches, especially with two strikes,” said Mya Zavada, who finished with two hits and three RBIs. “Whether I come up with runners on or not, I just try to stay calm and do the best I can. Today I came up with runners on every time up and was able to drive some in. It was nice to win both games.”

Streator 5, Lisle 2

The Bulldogs were the visitors and scored right away, as Blakemore worked a one-out walk and scored when Augustine’s liner was dropped in the outfield. Lisle matched that tally in its half on a single, two walks and a passed ball, then took a 2-1 lead in the second after a single and a pair of passed balls.

Streator was able to get things going again in the fourth, starting with Augustine and Kandence Ondrey drawing walks to start the inning and Lily Kupec scoring Augustine with a base hit to tie the game. After an out, pinch hitter Kylie Simpson laced the first pitch she saw to left-center to score Kandence Ondrey, and Mya Zavada brought home Kupec with a groundout.

The hosts added a run in the fifth, as Blakemore led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch.

Makenna Ondrey (4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K) picked up the win, with Augustine fanning two in a scoreless fifth to earn the save.

“My screwball was really working for me,” Augustine said. “It’s a pitch I love throwing, and it was really breaking today. I had a really good warm-up prior to the games, and I knew that pitch was going to be one I could really go to in any situation. The team did a great job of scoring runs in the first game which made my job – just throwing strikes – even easier.

“We finally had good weather to play, and it seems like we’ve been waiting for a day like today all season. We weren’t talking to start the second game and weren’t playing very well, but we all finally came around.”