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SYCAMORE – In her last two starts, Sycamore pitcher Bella Jacobs has pitched 16 innings, struck out 29 batters, walked two and allowed three hits.
The last seven innings of that was a one-hit shutout on Monday that helped the Spartans knock off Ottawa 1-0 in an Interstate 8 battle.
“I think we came into the season knowing it was going to be a good season,” Jacobs said. “I knew I had to mentally lock in and had to do my best every game. ... Since last season I was injured, I wanted to come back and show who I was.”
Jacobs retired the first 13 Ottawa hitters before Reese Purcell doubled to left-center.
She also escaped a jam in the seventh in which Bobbi Snook started things off with a walk, then a one-out error put runners on first and second base. But Jacobs closed the game with her 12th and 13th strikeouts as the Spartans (24-4-1 overall, 7-2 conference) held on for the win.
“I think she did a really good job spinning the ball up. Riseball had pretty good movement on it,” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. “Our hitters have to make an adjustment. We just continued to wave at the same pitches we’re not even putting a bat on. And as long as we keep doing that, we’re going to keep striking out double-digits.”
Ottawa starter Adelynn Russell allowed one run in the game, an unearned run in the top of the first. Adi Armstrong singled and an error on the Pirates (14-10, 4-4) scored her from first with two outs.
Sycamore managed just two more hits in the game, back-to-back in the fifth by Bella Johnson and Kait Williams. Russell finished the game allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four.
“She was unreal,” Lewis said. “Sycamore hits all the way up and down the lineup. I thought she did exceptional today. She’s been exceptional all year.”
The Spartans offense has managed six runs total in its last three games. They beat York 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, then lost 7-1 in the late game.
Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said the Spartans just ran out of gas at the end of last week, having played five games and starting the week with a 3-1 loss to La Salle-Peru that helped the Cavs clinch the league title.
She said she thought the wind blowing in was the biggest factor Monday.
“We had to fight really hard to get that win and simply ran out of gas in that second game,” Carpenter said. “Today I’m not as concerned because they seemed more like themselves. And we did smoke some balls, it’s just you can’t hit that way on a day like today. But any other day you’re looking at three or four homers in this game.”
Jacobs hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in a game since the Spartans tied Barrington 5-5 on May 1. She struck out 16 and allowed two earned runs in the first game against York on Saturday.
Given the increased workload over the last month, Carpenter said she’s been impressed at how both Jacobs and Addison Dierschow, the team’s other starter, have handled things.
“She probably likes warm weather better than most pitchers do and has probably settled in now that we are consistently playing games,” Carpenter said. “So for Bella and Addison [Dierschow] to just dig deep some days when they’re tired and gassed, they’re doing a lot of work out there.”
Both teams face I-8 opponents again on Wednesday. The Spartans head to Morris while Ottawa hosts Rochelle. The IHSA will announce postseason schedules on Wednesday.
Jacobs said it was a good bounce back for the Spartans after the loss Saturday.
“Since we took a rough loss on Saturday, we had to show who we all were,” Jacobs said. “That’s not who we are on Saturday and that’s not how we perform. I think going into postseason we’re all extremely locked in and looking forward to see where we go.”