Softball: Waubonsie Valley defeats Bartlett, stays alive in conference race

Updated: May 15, 2012 8:34PM

Bartlett’s clincher will have to wait.

Amanda Minahan belted a two-run home run to right-center field in the eighth inning Tuesday to lift Waubonsie Valley to a 4-2 come-from-behind win. It completes a two-game sweep of the Hawks and keeps the host Warriors’ softball title hopes alive in the Upstate Eight Valley.

Bartlett, 25-5 overall and 15-2 in the league, holds a one-game lead over Waubonsie Valley (23-6, 14-3) with each having two league games remaining.

“I was trying to go to the right side because I knew I had to get the ball on the ground to score (Melaina Koulos, who opened the inning with a double) or move her over to third,” Minahan said of her game-winner off losing pitcher Tori Burke (14-5).

“She was jamming me (on the first pitch that Minahan fouled out of play to the left side). That (home run) pitch was outside and high. I usually swing and miss on those. She struck me out three times (in two days) on that pitch.”

Not this time.

It capped an improbable comeback for the Warriors, who were down to their last out with runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh, trailing 2-0. No. 8 hitter Courtney Hicks, who had been pinch hit for earlier in the game, blooped a single to short left field just out of the shortstop’s reach to score winning pitcher Shannon Hohman (18-4) from second and No. 9 hitter Jessica Sarch followed with a double down the third-base line to score Erin Hohman with the tying run.

“It was all for the team,” said Hicks. “I just wanted to prove I could be a hitter, even with two outs.”

Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said, “(Waubonsie Valley) is an excellent hitting team and by the third time around (the batting order) they had adjusted and starting making contact. In the seventh, they had a couple duck snorts and then Sarch’s hit down the line. If it goes three inches the other way, it may be a different outcome.”

The Hawks had scored solo runs in the first and second on Steph Tomazin’s fielder’s choice grounder and Sydney Johnson’s RBI single.

“We had our chances early but couldn’t put up more than those two runs,” Wolfsmith said. “Later, we couldn’t get the key hit and Shannon (Hohman) settled in. Lots of credit to Waubonsie Valley. We had a great first three innings and they kept it close.”

© 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.