Softball: Brianna LeBeau leads Richards to victory

Updated: May 9, 2012 8:21PM

For No. 2 Richards, its 4-1 nonconference win over Riverside-Brookfield Wednesday was well worth the wait.

For visiting Riverside-Brookfield, it will likely bring a GPS for the next road game. R-B arrived 42 minutes late, causing the game to start 57 minutes after the scheduled time.

“When you get out of a routine it affects everything,” said R-B coach John Vermillion, whose team fell to 17-7. “What can you do? The bus driver got lost, had a Chicago address. He wouldn’t do anything until he called his base.”

Northwestern-bound pitcher Brianna LeBeau held R-B to one hit heading into the top of the seventh with her team up 4-0. Ashley Haugh broke the shutout with a double off the left field wall scoring Emily Hastings.

LeBeau retired the next three hitters to end the game and improve her record to 17-2 while her team improved to 25-2. She gave up three hits and struck out three. LeBeau (2-for-3, two RBI, two runs scored, stolen base) also contributed in the three-run third with a two-out, two-run single to left-center.

Hannah Jenkins doubled home LeBeau in the fifth to complete the scoring for Richards against R-B pitcher Kylie O’Connell (13-6).

“I had to warm up twice for pitching because they came late,” LeBeau said. “We had to stay focused and we did that.

“There is still a lot of stuff we have to work at as a team and we are using these games to start getting ready for the playoffs.”

Kiley Rusen had the other hit for R-B, while Becky Mantel made a sliding catch to her left in center field for the defensive gem of the game.

“We are always working on our constancy,” Richards coach Julie Folliard said. “(LeBeau) is a fire starter and we are always talking to all of the girls about being fire starters. She is just a great all-around player and she did it for us today.”

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