Joliet West charges back with big inning to beat Yorkville

JOLIET – A bizarre sixth inning featured Joliet West scoring four runs to give the Tigers a 4-1 victory over Yorkville in a Southwest Prairie Conference crossover game on a chilly Monday afternoon.

Yorkville (12-2) had scored the only run of the game in the top of the fourth, as Sara Ebner singled to drive in Elle Alvarez, who had singled and was sacrificed to second base. Then with sophomore Lady Foxes pitcher Madi Reeves cruising, having only allowed one hit and one other base runner because of an error, the craziness began.

Reeves stuck out West’s Jessica Kyd, but the ball skipped behind the umpire and Kyd was on first. The next batter struck out, but courtesy runner MacKenzie Dorris stole second base and then scored on an RBI single from Alex Hughes. Speedster Shelby Fraser ran for Hughes and advanced to third on a single from Lanie Chizmark to put runners on first and third. With Savannah Fierke at the plate, West coach Heather Suca put the suicide squeeze play on, but Fierke never touched the low pitch and Fraser scored, stealing home. The Tigers (14-2) added two more runs in the inning after finally putting the ball in play.

“I had the [suicide] play called, but the pitch was so low Savannah couldn’t get the bat on it, but Shelby [Fraser] was aggressive and never stopped.” Suca said. “Our mentality for the runner on third is that you are stealing home, but we usually get a piece of the ball, and that was just crazy.

“We saw some great pitching over the weekend and we knew [Mandi] Reeves was very good, and give her credit, she pitched a great game, but we finally made some little adjustments at the plate and finally put the ball in play, and when you do that things can happen just like they did today.”

Fierke ended the game with 12 strikeouts and allowed five hits, coming off a big weekend in which the Tigers played two extra-inning games Saturday.

“I was a little sore and my legs were tired, but we were playing a very good team, so we all just went out there and did what we had to do today. I knew the suicide was on but the pitch was so low I couldn’t get the bat on the ball and all of a sudden Shelby is right there and scores. I have never seen anything like that before.”

Reeves pitched brilliantly, striking out 13 batters, including four of them in the sixth inning. She allowed only four hits and didn’t allow a runner past first base until the sixth inning.

“Madi was phenomenal, and every time she goes to the circle she is looking to improve, and she really leads our defense. She is so level headed and really keeps her emotions in check,” Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said. “The sixth inning was just one of those things were just the smallest mistakes can hurt you. Madi gets the leadoff strikeout but the ball gets lost behind the umpire and then West took advantage of every little thing.”