Wildkits Put It All Together For First Softball Victory

Except for a couple of hiccups on defense in the first inning Friday at Niles North, Evanston’s softball team put it all together in all phases of the game.

Finally.

The Wildkits broke through for their first victory of the season, banging out 11 hits and thrashing Niles North 11-1 in a slaughter rule contest that only lasted 5 innings.

Maya Nelson hurled a 1-hitter and struck out a career-high 8, while Aayna Ghose went 3-for-4 and drove in 3 runs with two singles and a double for the winners. They combined to help Evanston halt a 5-game losing skid to start the season.

Maybe it was the promise of ice cream from the ETHS coaching staff after the game --- harkening back to the players’ travel ball days --- but the Kits did just about everything right for the first time this season.

The win should serve as a morale boost for a quick turnaround to Saturday’s home game against Rolling Meadows. For a team that won only a total of 2 games last year, the promise of an actual win streak could lead to bigger things.

Or maybe just more ice cream.

“We actually turned a (rare in the game of fastpitch softball) 6-4-3 double play yesterday (in a 3-2 loss to Niles West) and we’ve done a lot of things well this year,” insisted ETHS head coach Amy Gonzales. “We just need to get everything going at the same time. We really needed a game like this.

“Our hitting hasn’t been what we wanted it to be and we did hit better today. We need to keep our offense going like that so we can be more comfortable in some of these games.”

More offense could also help a pitch-to-contact pitcher like Nelson find a comfort zone in some games. Pitching with a lead is still a rare treat for the sophomore right-hander, who had to assume most of the burden in the circle as a freshman on the varsity last year trying to replace injured ace Serafina Goodwill.

Even the fact that she only won 2 games in the circle as a freshman didn’t deter Nelson. She came back this year determined to build on that painful 2-19 season the Kits endured.

She fanned 8 Vikings Friday, and displayed a change-up that more often than not froze the hitters in the box. The only hit she surrendered was a 1-out double to right center in the 4th by losing pitcher Aaliyah Struthers.

“We’re a talented team and we know we have the ability to win games,” Nelson said. “We just can’t let one mistake get into our heads in a game. Collectively, it’s been frustrating for all of us --- but it helps that the coaches promised us ice cream tonight.

“I learned a lot last year and I added more spin to my pitches. I wasn’t able to add any velocity, but I have a lot more movement now and that helps a lot.”

Nelson also contributed a bunt single, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly to produce a run as the Wildkits scored 2 runs in the 2nd, 5 in the 3rd, 2 in the 4th and 2 in the 5th to notch a W for the first time this spring.

They faced an early deficit when corner infielders Goodwill and Ghose were charged with errors in the first frame. This time the Kits had the resilience to shake those mistakes off, and even turned in a pair of dazzling defensive plays that kept Nelson’s no-hit bid intact in the 3rd.

With one out in the inning, second baseman Charlie Henderson ranged to her left and snared a smash hit by North’s Mia Anzaldua on the short hop and turned it into an out. The next batter, Emma Espinoza, tried to bunt her way on board but was nipped on a close play on a throw from third baseman Goodwill.

Nelson finally allowed that hit to Struthers in the 4th, but finished with a flourish by striking out the side in the 5th.

“Maya did a very good job for us out there,” praised Gonzales. “She got ahead, she hit her spots and she did all the things we needed a pitcher to do. This should give us some good momentum moving forward.”

The Wildkits took advantage of a staggering 10 wild pitches tossed by Struthers and reliever Emily Hall in the rout. Rosie Witt solved Struthers, a freshman, for a bases-loaded single in the top of the 2nd, and the Kits chased Struthers in the 3rd on doubles by Delila Liston (2-for-2) and Kenna Brokowski (1-for-3) plus singles by Goodwill and Ghose.

Witt reached on a leadoff triple in the 4th and came around to score on a wild pitch issued by lefty Hall. Liston, who walked, came around to score on Ghose’s fly ball single to right.

Evanston pushed the margin to 10 runs in the 5th thanks to a couple of walks and Liston’s second double of the game.