Softball: Big first inning boosts Bartlett to win at Glenbard East

Hawks score eight runs in the first inning, snap Ramsโ€™ three-game winning streak

LOMBARD โ€“ Even after an eight-run first inning spotted her team a nice early lead, Amanda Frieden didnโ€™t feel all that great after host Glenbard East closed to within 8-5 after two innings, so Frieden and her Bartlett softball teammates just kept on hitting.

The Hawks snapped the Ramsโ€™ 3-game winning streak by hitting throughout the order on their way to a 16-5, five-inning Upstate Eight Conference win in Lombard. Frieden led off the game with a double, then added another doubled as Bartlett batted around in an eight-run first inning.

โ€œIt was a good first inning and good to start with that lead, but once they came back it got nervous,โ€ said Frieden, who went 3-for-4 and scored three times. โ€œThis may have been our best offensive day ever.โ€

The Hawks, who improved to 4-5 on the spring and 3-2 in conference, belted out 19 hits in just five innings, with right fielder Julia Wilkens going 4-for-4 with three RBIs from the No. 8 spot in the order.

โ€œOur approach at the plate, especially in the first inning, was really good today,โ€ Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. โ€œThis (Glenbard East) team shut out Fenton, but we got hit, after hit, after another hit.โ€

To the Ramsโ€™ credit, the home team scored once in the first and four more times in the second to close to within 8-5. Ella Brooks and Raya Schwebl each walked with the bases loaded in the second before Hawksโ€™ freshman Grace Wilkens came on in relief. The reliever closed out the second and then blanked the Rams the rest of the way.

โ€œI felt consistent out there,โ€ said Wilkens, who has fit in nicely as a newcomer on varsity. โ€œI pitch to strikes and itโ€™s nice to have that defense behind me. Itโ€™s also great to have the hitting adding on all those runs.โ€

Glenbard East was missing four-year varsity catcher Katie Mulatz, who was on a college visit, and lost shortstop Giana Raitano when she was injured running the bases in the second inning. Freshman Ally Block, who hit a pair of grand slams earlier this week, took over behind the plate on Thursday.

โ€œWe battled back and tried to make it a game, but when we lost our shortstop that took the wind out of our sails,โ€ Glenbard East coach Victor Swanson said. โ€œWe had a good week with wins over East Aurora, Fenton and Streamwood, but Bartlett hit the ball pretty well today.โ€

Alexa Burzawa and Annette Mazzei each went 3-for-4 for Bartlett, which tacked on four runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to win the contest in five innings. Glenbard East (3-7, 3-3) leadoff hitter Anna Cameron reached safely three times with two walks and a double.