Softball: Downers North’s Elaine Heflin, Dale Ryndak dominate McAuley

Updated: April 14, 2012 9:17PM

Scheduling a doubleheader against No. 3 Downers Grove North probably isn’t the best idea for any team considering the Trojans can throw the pitching duo of junior Elaine Heflin and sophomore Dale Ryndak at you.

No. 2 Mother McAuley found that out the hard way Saturday afternoon when they were swept 5-1 and 8-1, mostly because of the pair of hard-throwing underclassman.

“Definitely the best pitchers and best hitters we’ve seen all year,” said Mother McAuley coach Colleen Kilduff, whose team dropped to 14-4 and were just hours removed from their trip to Florida and early-morning ACT exams. “Bad day to have a doubleheader, so just poor planning on the coach’s part.”

Heflin went the distance for the Trojans in Game 1, striking out 15 and scattering two hits en route to improving to 6-1 on the season. Heflin and Might Mac’s senior pitcher Ashley Rogers (14-1) matched blows for four innings before an RBI single by Rowan McGuire (3-for-4, 2B, two RBI) in the fifth broke a 0-0 tie.

The Trojans (13-1) added one in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Anne Lusher scoring Brittany Nagy (3-for-4, 3B), and three more in the seventh highlighted by three consecutive doubles by Samantha Yeager (2-for-4, two runs scored), McGuire (3-for-4, 2B, two RBI), and Kelsey Gockman (two RBI).

Heflin gave up an unearned run in the seventh but ended the game with her 15th strikeout of the game. Ali Woitovich was 2-for-4 for the Trojans.

“I did what I do best and that is pitch,” said Heflin, who suffered her first loss of the season on Monday against Trinity. “After that loss all we said was we are 0-0 before each game.”

In Game 2, Ryndak ran her record to 7-0, giving up seven hits, striking out two and allowing the only run in the first on an RBI single by Micaela Carney, who 3-for-4 on the day. She also added her fourth home run of the season in the first, the first of back-to-back home runs that was followed by Yeager, who smashed her sixth.

The Trojans had 10 hits in the nightcap off pitchers Sarah West and Emily Powers. They had 24 total hits on the day. Carolyn Nojiri was 3-for-4 with a triple, double and two RBI in Game 2, while Yeager made it four hits on the day, finishing off with a 2-for-3 performance.

“We really came together today and it really helped that Elaine and I do our jobs as the pitchers,” Ryndak said. “We are OK with having this pressure on our shoulders.

“That loss on Monday really woke us up. Our team captain Samantha Yeager gave us a speech on the bus (after the loss) and that really fired us up and put us back in line. That got us going again as a team and we have really picked it up in practice.”

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