Ellison Hallahan’s home run helps Bella Jacobs’ 17-strikeout shutout stand up in Sycamore win over Kaneland

SYCAMORE – Kaneland pitcher Brynn Woods was cruising early, retiring the first five Sycamore batters.

After Riley Schuller became strikeout victim No. 4 of Woods, she passed on some advice as she passed Ellison Hallahan on the way to the plate.

“She pretty much just told me what she was throwing and good luck,” Hallahan said.

Whether it was good luck or the fact she got the pitch she was waiting on, Hallahan crushed a home run over the fence in center field, the first run of the game in Sycamore’s 3-0 win over Interstate 8 rival Kaneland on Tuesday.

Hallahan said she was looking for something middle height and on the outside part of the plate.

“I try to leave everything that isn’t there,” Hallahan said. “First pitch I swung, missed. That’s OK, that happens. But then she threw me a meatball middle-out, and I just hammered it.”

Hallahan’s home run was the only support Sycamore starter Bella Jacobs needed. Jacobs struck out 17 and allowed three hits – two of which were doubles by Ellie Peck.

Jacobs said her riseball was working very well.

“Normally that’s not my best pitch, but it’s one of my best pitches,” Jacobs said. “Today it was really working, and I really felt the movement on it.”

Outside of the two doubles, Kaneland couldn’t get a runner past second all day as baserunners were scarce. Jacobs allowed one walk in the game, and Sycamore committed no errors.

Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said Jacobs had a lot of movement on her pitches, leaving a lot of batters frozen in the box.

“Bella Jacobs threw an exceptional game,” Kaneland coach Mike Kuefler said. “We couldn’t figure her out today. That was it. I can’t take anything away from Bella, she threw a great game. Our girls were a little overanxious at the plate, I think, and just didn’t make any adjustments.”

Hallahan’s home run in the bottom of the second staked the Spartans (12-1 overall, 2-0 conference) to a 1-0 lead.

Sycamore added two more against Woods and the Knights (13-6, 2-1) in the third. Both were unearned as Addie McLaughlin reached on a three-base error, then Addison Armstrong scored her on a sacrifice fly.

With two outs, Faith Heil launched the Spartans’ second home run of the game, this one nearly to the same spot as Hallahan’s.

“You knew it was going to be a pitchers’ duel. It was kind of like who was going to be able to put the ball on the bat more and make something happen,” Carpenter said. “We manufactured a run by Armstrong on a sac fly scoring McLaughlin. When you’re facing elite pitching, that’s what you have to do.”

Woods went the distance, allowing one earned run and five hits. She struck out 11 and didn’t allow a walk.

Kairi Lantz followed Heil’s home run by reaching base on a dropped-third strike. Woods retired eight straight and 10 of the last 12 Spartans she faced.

“Brynn did everything she could do,” Kuefler said. “She gave us opportunities to compete in this game. She threw a very good game.”

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