SOFTBALL: Bulldogs Have A Blast Against Willowbrook

There’s something about losing that doesn’t sit well with Batavia’s softball team.

Three days after suffering a heart-breaking 8-7 loss to Elgin, the Bulldogs (11-2) took out most of their frustrations on Willowbrook during Saturday’s doubleheader against the Warriors in Villa Park.

Batavia was originally scheduled to face West Chicago in a twin-bill but the Wildcats were forced to cancel the games due to the fact that they had to reschedule a DuPage Valley Conference doubleheader which was postponed twice by inclement weather.

Against Willowbrook, the Bulldogs put on an awesome power hitting display by belting seven home runs in the two games.

In the second game, junior Christine Lynam had a day to remember as she went 3-for-3 with three home runs and seven RBI during the Bulldogs’ 11-1 victory.

Sophomore center fielder Katie Ryan, who had hit two home runs in one game against Neuqua Valley earlier this season, had a pair of home runs and triple while catcher Emily Dorjath was 4-for-4 with a home run and double as the Bulldogs won the opener 10-8.

Junior pitcher Katie Neubauer upped her record to 5-1.

Ryan continued her offensive barrage in the second game and matched Lynam with her third home run of the day.

Brooke Nelson was the winning pitcher in the Bulldogs’ slaughter-rule shortened five-inning nightcap, improving her record to 3-0.

Neubauer and Elgin freshman Jennah Perryman locked up in a pitchers’ duel for the first five innings during their Upstate Eight Conference River Division clash on April 20 in Batavia.

The Bulldogs scored the game’s first run in the fifth inning as Erin Costigan scored on a throwing error.

Things proceeded to get a lot crazier during the final two innings when the teams combined for 13 runs.

Elgin scored five runs in the sixth and added two more in the seventh to take a seemingly comfortable 8-1 lead.

Down to their last at-bat, the Bulldogs refused to go quietly.

Dorjath’s three-run home run and Meghan Fabian’s bases-loaded walk pulled the Bulldogs within 9-7 before Neubauer sliced a sacrifice fly to deep right to make it 9-8.

“I thought we were going to win,” said Batavia Ashley Szymski.

With runners on second and third and two out, the Bulldogs’ rally came to an end on a fly out to center.

Batavia will play four games in five days, beginning with Monday’s contest at Larkin. After visiting UEC River leader St. Charles North Tuesday, the Bulldogs return home to face St. Charles East Wednesday and Lake Park Friday.