Softball: Houlihan, Jadron lead Joliet West past Plainfield Central

PLAINFIELD — It didn’t take Avery Houlihan long to get her team going.

The Joliet West leadoff hitter drilled a 3-1 pitch deep to left to open the game and ended up on third with a triple. She scored when Shelby Fraser followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give her team a 1-0 lead en route to a 7-1 Southwest Prairie Conference win over Plainfield Central.

“It was good for us to come back from a loss Saturday with a lot of energy today,” Houlihan said. “I have been in a bit of a slump, so it was good to get a triple right away.

“We have all been hitting well, and a lot of the girls on the team are fast, so we take advantage of that and try to get extra bases when we can.”

The Tigers (11-11, 7-4) then gave pitcher Madison Jadron all the cushion she needed in the second.

Paige Pasteris led off with a single and went to third on a throwing error on a bunt by Makenzie Farkas, with Farkas reaching second. Jadron walked to load the bases before Pasteris was forced out at home on a grounder. Houlihan then smacked a single through the middle to score both Fraser and courtesy runner Ella Featherston. Fraser followed with a single to center to score Alaina Grahar, with Houlihan moving to third. After Fraser stole second, Hope Hughes grounded to second. Houlihan scored on the play, and Fraser motored all the way from second to score as well for a 6-0 lead.

“We got out to a good lead early,” Joliet West coach Heather Suca said. “I am proud of the way the girls came out with a lot of energy right from the start. We have been putting the ball in play and being aggressive on the bases. And, we have been doing the little things right. We got three good bunts down today. We want to put the ball in play and make the other team make plays.

“And, Madison was popping the ball well today. She threw a lot of strikes and was pretty comfortable with seven runs.”

Plainfield Central (6-17, 5-9) got a run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Audrey Dennis which drove home Jamie Crawford, who had been hit by a pitch. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it was the only run they got.

“You aren’t going to win a lot of games with one run,” Central coach Kate Welsh said. “We competed well. We didn’t beat ourselves. Their pitcher did a good job, and they strung together a few more hits than we did.”

Jadron scattered four hits in the complete-game win, striking out 10 with a steady diet of pitches that tailed away from right-handed hitters.

“My ball moves a lot,” Jadron said. “When I do throw one straight, no one is expecting it. And, I know if I don’t make a perfect pitch every time, my defense has my back and will make the plays. The offense has helped out a lot, too. It’s good to be on the mound with seven runs scored.

“We have a lot of fun together and we bring a lot of energy to the field.”

Joliet West capped the scoring in the top of the third on an RBI groundout by Grohar to chase home Pasteris, who had reached on an error, went to second on a single by Farkas, and then stole third.

Houlihan finished 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs for the Tigers, while Brooke Schwall had two hits and Hughes had two RBIs.