Analysis: Plainfield East's Molek Dominates on Mound, at Plate

A sophomore stole the show on senior night. A sophomore on the opposing team, to be more accurate.

Sophomore pitcher Annalise Molek dominated Romeoville for most of the game, allowing only six hits and two earned runs. 

“She really did a nice job for us,” Plainfield East coach Chris Morris said. 

In the bottom of the first, however, it looked like her day was going to be a tumultuous one. The defense committed three errors, including a dropped third strike against leadoff hitter Jessica Kehoe. After an errant throw, Kehoe wound up on third base. She scored on an error on the next play and Molek found herself with runners on the corners and one out.

She then struck out Cecra Floyd that turned into an inning-ending double play when Jami Shawmeker was caught too far off the base in an errant rundown play.

Molek took the momentum and cruised on the mound for the rest of the game, allowing the team’s offense to do the rest of the work. She struck out nine in five innings, fooling the Spartans’ hitters with nasty off-speed pitches and forcing defensive swings on inside pitches. 

“She [Molek] gave them a couple of opportunities here and there, but she was able to work her way out of it,” Morris said.

She proved her worth at the plate, as well, going 4-for-4 with a solo HR, two doubles, and a single. The fourth hit, which got past right fielder Michelle Spillman, could have been a triple if Taylor Messer, who led off the fifth with a single, had reacted faster off the line drive.

“We were joking about it, that she (Messer) had been too slow,” Morris said, laughing.