Presley Wright shoulders the load for WW South, tosses two crosstown shutouts: Suburban Life softball notebook

Presley Wright is pitching more than she ever has before for her high school team, and the Wheaton Warrenville South senior admits that her body does have a limit.

She seems no worse for wear lately.

Twice in the last week, Wright pitched the Tigers to 1-0 wins over their DuKane Conference and crosstown rivals from Wheaton North.

In the second meeting, Wednesday on the south side, Wright struck out four and allowed four hits and three walks.

It followed up an eight-inning, 1-0 win last Friday in which Wright also went the distance, striking out eight in a five-hit shutout.

It’s only the second and third times this season Wheaton North has been shut out, the first by an in-state opponent.

“It was some of the most exciting games I’ve played in my high school career,” Wright said. “People thought we would be not as good as last year, when we lost to them twice. We pulled together with the energy and the mindset to play those games. We had each other’s backs the whole time.”

The second game ended in wild fashion.

With the tying run at third and one out in the top of the seventh, Wheaton North attempted a squeeze bunt. Wright pounced on the bunt, ran at the runner and threw to Becca Chaney, who tagged the runner out at third. The runner at first went around, and Chaney ran at her and threw to Abby Mease coming in from center field to second base for the tag and final out.

“It was a super bang-bang play,” Wright said. “We all had the same idea, because we’ve worked on the play so many times in practice. It was great to see in live action. The communication could not have been more perfect.”

Wright pitched behind Maddie Pool the last couple seasons when she was not playing shortstop. With Pool graduating off last year’s 23-win regional champion, Wright took the reins as WW South’s ace.

And she’s run with it.

Wright, who will play collegiately at Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has posted a 14-5 record and 1.52 ERA in 21 appearances, 19 of them starts, with 137 strikeouts over 119⅔ innings.

With Wright leading the way, WW South is 17-8 overall, 7-4 in the DuKane Conference, one of four teams a game back of St. Charles North in the loss column with a week to play. The Tigers also earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A Oswego Sectional.

“She’s been absolutely amazing. We’re a different team when she is pitching – her confidence is through the roof," WW South coach Jeff Pawlak said. “She has been able to locate multiple pitches, and her spin has been really good. It handcuffs some teams. And she’s not afraid to let batters put the ball in play. Traditionally we have to pitch well and play pretty good defense, and we’re playing good defense behind her.”

Wright recently developed some tendinitis in her shoulder from pitching frequently and has worked with her coaches to manage it. She’s kept herself to throwing conference games of late, but has embraced the responsibility.

“I love that I have thrown more innings this year and there is more pressure on me,” she said. “I was a little surprised that I was able to pick up the amount of innings thrown at me, but super excited to get the innings. I love pitching.

“With everyone around me, I feel so confident that the ball can be put in play and the play can be made. It takes so much pressure off my shoulders. I know my teammates have my back every single time.”

Playoff pairings out

The large-school softball playoff seeds and schedule were released in the last week.

Notably, Downers Grove North earned the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Marist Sectional behind defending state runner-up Marist, with the Trojans to compete in a regional at Willowbrook. Riverside-Brookfield is the No. 4 seed and Downers Grove South the No. 5 seed in that sectional playing in a regional at Hinsdale Central. York is the No. 3 seed, hosting its regional.

Wheaton North is the No. 2 seed behind No. 1 Oswego in the Oswego Sectional, with the Falcons to play in a regional at Naperville Central. WW South earned the No. 3 seed and will play at the Bolingbrook Regional. Wheaton North and WW South could meet a third time this season in a sectional semifinal at Oswego.

In Class 3A, St. Francis, Fenwick, Montini and Glenbard South earned the top four seeds in order at the Montini Sectional. Nazareth is the No. 3 seed in the St. Laurence Sectional where the host school is the No. 1 seed. Lemont and Providence both earned No. 1 seeds in the sectional at Ottawa, with Lemont hosting a regional.