Softball Team Gains Split in Games with St. Charles Schools

All season long, Batavia’s softball team has proved it can recover from a tough loss.

After dropping a 5-2 decision to Upstate Eight Conference River Division powerhouse St. Charles North on May 11 in Batavia, the Bulldogs (17-6, 9-6) earned a split with the St. Charles schools by knocking off host St. Charles East 10-3 Friday afternoon.

The Bulldogs, who open a six-game week at home Monday in a rematch against the same St. Charles East (14-13, 8-7) team, didn’t show any residual effects of their loss to the league-leading North Stars two days earlier while spoiling the Saints’ Senior Day festivities.

Junior Katie Coleman, who upped her mound mark to 5-1 with a four-hit complete game, helped her own cause in the second inning when she belted her first home run of the season off of Saints starting pitcher Leah Valesh to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.

Batavia took control during a five-run third that featured consecutive RBI doubles from Brooke Nelson and Emily Dorjath.

St. Charles East chipped away at the Bulldogs’ lead, scoring a run in the third and adding two more in the fourth before left-fielder Meghan Fabiana made a superb inning-ending defensive stab.

Fabian, who went 4-for-4 (all singles) with a sacrifice bunt, helped the Bulldogs put the game out of reach with a two-run single that highlighted a four-run seventh.

“We all hit the ball hard today,” Fabian said of her team’s 14-hit attack.

Christine Lynam, Erin Costigan, Nelson and Coleman had two hits apiece, while Coleman’s home run was the team’s 33rd of the year, tying the Bulldogs for sixth place on the IHSA’s all-time single-season list.

“I was very pleased with the way we played,” said Batavia coach Ashley Szymski. “It was nice to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss (to St. Charles North).

Batavia spotted the North Stars a 4-0 first-inning lead and could never recover against ace hurler Amanda Ciran. Nelson (6-1) suffered her first loss while going the distance for the Bulldogs.

“We had a little first-inning jitters, I think,” said Szymski. “We let the pressure get to us at first but once we settled in, Brooke pitched a really good game for us. We played good defense most of the time after the first inning.”

Playing without Katie Neubauer (foot injury) and Lynam, Sami Johnson started at third base and sophomore call-up Paige Zochert played first with Nelson on the mound.

Johnson helped provide the Bulldogs’ scoring with a two-run double off Ciran in the fifth.

“She can be intimidating,” Johnson said of Ciran. “I tried not to let that get to me.”

“It was a great hit,” said Szymski. “With a pitcher like Ciran, if you get the bat on the ball, it’s going to go somewhere because she’s got some nice velocity.”

Zochert, meanwhile, used her long reach to make a pair of defensive gems.

“It helps when you have a 6-foot-2 first baseman sometimes,” said Szymski.