Sports
GHS Softball Highlights Stellar Week with Win Over St. Charles North
Varsity Vikings take down ranked opponents, including No. 2 North Stars, to stay alive in Upstate Eight race.
GHS varsity softball kept itself in the Upstate Eight River Division race last week, posting a perfect 6-0 record over numerous ranked opponents including St. Charles North, the No. 2 team in the state.
The fun started Monday against Streamwood, as the Vikings blanked them 3-0. The offense was a true team effort, with doubles from Dori Rogers, Kelly Gordon, Bridget Weitzel, Elena Wright and Julie Orwig. Kelly McCaffrey earned the first of her five wins for the week.
She saved her best stuff for the next day, though, when she kept a no-hitter alive through five innings against Elgin. The Maroons broke up the no-no and the shutout with a two-run homer in the sixth, but those would be the only two hits they had all day. Kirsten Searcy joined Orwig and Weitzel on the doubles list as Geneva went on to win 9-2.
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Wednesday’s game was almost a carbon copy of Monday, as Kelly McCaffrey picked up the “W” in a 3-0 win over #18 Batavia. The only notable difference was that the Bulldogs actually outhit the Vikings 8-6 but couldn’t capitalize on any of their chances. Dori Rogers had a triple for GHS.
On Thursday, the Vikings jumped out to a 5-0 lead but had to hold off a charge by No.16 Bartlett to get a 5-3 victory. Searcy and Gordon both homered and Clare Stribling was 3-for-3. Kelly McCaffrey was again the winner.
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The big one came on Friday, as Geneva stunned No. 2 St. Charles North 6-4, avenging a 6-2 loss to the North Stars the week before. The game was deadlocked at 4-4 in the sixth but GHS rallied for a pair of runs, including the eventual game winner, when Sarah Laster scampered home on an errant pickoff attempt to third base. The loss was the first for the North Stars in 17 games and first in Upstate Eight play.
The girls closed out the week with a tight 8-7 victory over Maine West on Saturday. Things looked bleak early as the Vikings were in a 6-0 hole entering the bottom of the fifth inning. A three-run rally in that frame got the offense going, and they scored five more times over the last two innings to get the win. On the mound, Julie Orwig added a tally to her win column.
At the end of the week, the varsity squad was ranked 13th in the Daily Herald’s Top 20 poll with an overall record of 18-6.
