It didn’t take long for Minooka‘s high-powered softball offense to get going Tuesday against nonconference rival Joliet Catholic.

After Indians center fielder Olivia Boyd gunned down a runner at the plate to complete an inning-ending double play in the top of the first, she led off the Minooka first with a single. It was the first of 13 hits for the Indians on the day as they cruised to a 17-2 win. In nine games this season, the Indians (6-3) have now scored 98 runs.

Minooka scored seven in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a home run. Addison Crumly delivered a two-run single in the inning, while Chloe Miner walked with the bases loaded to bring in a run, Cadence Murphy and Avery Bird each singled in a run, Boyd drew a bases-loaded walk and Ava Carlson drove in a run with a fielder’s choice.

After JCA scored in the top of the second on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kelly O’Hara, Minooka got the scoring machine revved up again in the bottom half.

Jaelle Hamilton led off the bottom of the second with a walk, then a single by Ava Knutsen (2 for 2, RBI) and a walk to Lexi Bukala loaded the bases for Miner. Miner got a pitch she liked on a 1-2 count and launched it over the center field fence for a grand slam and an 11-1 lead. The blast gave Miner (2 for 2) five RBIs on the day.

“When you get up with the bases loaded, you don’t want to try to hit a grand slam,” Miner said. “I was just trying to work my mechanics, get everything going and work pitch by pitch. I saw the pitch was coming in high, so I put a good swing on it and got the barrel on it. I didn’t think it would go out, but it did.

“It’s so fun to be in our lineup. The hitters in front of me and behind me all do their jobs and are usually on base for me to try to drive in or if I get on, the girls behind me drive me in. It’s contagious with us, and when we get two outs, no one wants to be the one to make the last out.”

The Angels (2-9) scored a run on an RBI single by Samantha Wright in the top of the third before Minooka put up five more in the bottom half. The big blow came from Olivia Carr, who slammed a three-run homer to center to make it 17-2. Minooka held JCA scoreless in the top of the fourth to end the game by mercy rule.

“We have a lot of good hitters,” Minooka coach Mark Brown said. “It kind of becomes an internal competition, with everyone wanting to be at the top. They are all focused and have a good approach in every at-bat.

“The ball has been jumping so far for us, that’s for sure.”

JCA didn’t lack for base runners. Lexi Rezzardi led the game off with a double, but was thrown out at home trying to score from third on a fly ball. Addy Rizzatto, Wright and O’Hara all reached base in both of their at-bats and they had a runner in scoring position in every inning. Unlike Minooka, though, the hits when the runners were on base weren’t there.

“We were getting runners on,” JCA coach Tina Kinsella said. “We put the ball in play well, but we didn’t string together enough hits to score many runs.

“Our four freshman pitchers are learning. We played them last week in the WJOL Tournament, and it was 2-0 for the first four innings, then 5-0 after that before things went bad. We have shown glimpses of what we can be, but we have to be able to command our pitches better. Not only for balls and strikes, but command in the strike zone as well.”