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frankfortstation.com sports
the frankfort station | May 4, 2017 | 55
fastbreak
Softball
Storako fires on both sides of plate in key win
Julie mcmann/22nd Century
Media
1st-and-3
East’s key soccer
players during their
conference opener
win
1. Bianca Galassini
The star midfielder
proved unstoppable
during Lincoln-Way
East’s win over
West, scoring three
goals on headers
and landing a hat
trick.
2. Kelsey McInturff
McInturff’s key
corner kick
hit Galassini’s
header during the
conference opener.
She also honored
four family members
impacted by cancer
during the benefit
game last week.
3. Anna Power
Power’s throw-in
during the 30th
minute found
Galassini for an
assist. Power’s
overall strong
showing also
included winning
headers.
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
In an old-fashioned pitchers’
duel, Alex Storako came
up big in the circle and at the
plate.
The Lincoln-Way East junior
fired a two-hitter from
the mound and belted what
proved to be the winning
home run as the Griffins rallied
for a 3-2 victory over
a tough Bolingbrook team
in a first place SouthWest
Suburban Conference Blue
Division battle on Thursday,
April 27, in Bolingbrook.
With the win, East (14-2,
4-0) claimed the top spot in
the SWSC Blue by itself.
Bolingbrook (8-7, 3-1),
which had defeated visiting
Lockport Township 9-1 on
April 18, stood toe-to-toe
with the Griffins before a
3-run fifth proved to be the
difference.
“This was a huge game,”
East senior left fielder Sidney
Bloomfield said. “We
went 4-0 this [past] week
and are playing well.”
With East trailing 2-0,
Bloomfield came up big in
the fifth. With one out, the
number nine hitter, sophomore
second baseman Lindsay
LaDere, put down a
bunt. Raider senior pitcher
Lorrin Pondo picked it up,
but her hurried throw was
low and skipped past first
base as LeDere reached on
Bolingbrook’s only error of
the game.
Pondo (0 ERA, 7 H, 8 K, 2
BB) came back with a strikeout,
but up stepped Bloomfield
(2-for-4, R, RBI). She
bashed the first pitch she saw
off the right-hander to the
right center field gap for an
RBI triple that cut the Griffin
deficit in half.
“I was just looking for
something to drive,” Bloomfield
said. “I was just looking
for something to get the
team going and give us some
energy. I wanted to get our
bench going.”
The Griffins bench —
which had been loud early
on during the cold, gray day,
but had grown more quiet
when they were seven outs
away from defeat — was
then alive with cheers again.
Moments later, they were
pouring out to home plate.
That’s because they came
out to congratulate Storako
following her slam.
“It was big,” said Storako,
who had a big smile on her
face after rounding third
with her second homer of the
season. “I just saw the pitch
and reacted to it. I just wanted
to get a hit for the team.”
Storako (1-for-3, BB, 2
RBI) had fallen behind in
the count 0-2, but worked it
to 2-2. The fifth offering was
high and inside, and the lefthanded
batter bashed it well
over the fence in right center.
“No, I really didn’t know
[that it was a home run] right
away,” Storako said. “But it
felt good off the bat. After
that, it was very easy to relax
[in the circle] and I knew the
“I was just looking for something
to get the team going and give us
some energy. I wanted to get our
bench going.”
Sidney Bloomfield — East senior left fielder on
landing a big RBI hit
defense was behind me.”
They were, but Storako
didn’t give them many opportunities
as she struck out
13, walked none, hit a batter,
and allowed two hits while
retiring the final 13 batters.
The right-hander was especially
tough after hitting her
home run, getting the final
nine outs on seven strikeouts
and two ground balls back
to herself. In fact, she struck
out the side — the heart of
the Bolingbrook lineup —
on nine pitches in the bottom
of the seventh.
Storako settled in, but
started shaky, hitting center
fielder Katrina Yep with on
her first pitch of the game.
One out later, Pondo lined a
single to right and both runners
moved up to second and
third on a wild pitch. With
two outs, Storako uncorked
another wild pitch and Yep
raced home. When senior
catcher Riley Lang’s throw
to Storako covering the plate
got away, Pondo came home
too and it was 2-0.
Junior right fielder Nia
Fowlkes had the other Raider
hit, an infield single to
deep short with one out in
the second inning. But she
never moved from there, and
that was the final Bolingbrook
base runner.
East had a golden opportunity
to put runs on the
board in the second. Senior
designated hitter Christine
Malito (2-for-3) singled to
right, junior first baseman
Lauren Hunter walked and
sophomore third baseman
Lexi Krause (1-for-3) had a
bunt single to load the bases.
But Pondo got a pop-out
back to herself and a pair of
strikeouts to end the inning.
Griffin leadoff hitter Alli
Jaquith (1-for-4) had the
team’s other hit: double to
left center with one out in
the seventh.
Winning close conference
games is something the
Griffins have done for years.
They are the two-time defending
SWSC Blue champions,
but with many new
faces on this year’s squad,
there were question marks
on how they would mesh.
“With [Lincoln-Way]
North closing and a lot of
different people coming together,
we’ve jelled really
well,” Bloomfield said. “Our
theme this year has been
‘synergy.’ That’s what we
have.”
Storako, who transferred
in from Bishop McNamara
after pitching two seasons
for the Irish, has added to
that. Did she expect to be in
these big games when she
came to East?
“I came in expecting a
good, exciting season,” Storako
said. “That’s what we’ve
had so far.”
East opened the week on
Monday, April 24, by hosting
Plainfield South and
coming away with a 7-5 victory.
Krause (2-for-2) and
Jaquith (2-for-4) led the offense
and Storako had eight
strikeouts in the circle. The
next day, the Griffins hosted
Stagg in a SWSC Blue game
and won 10-0 in five innings.
Bloomfield (3-for-3)
and senior center fielder Ami
Ill (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) had
multi hits while Hunter and
Krause clubed homers in
the 13-hit attack. Freshman
Danielle Drogemuller had
six strikeouts in four innings
to register the win.
Then on Wednesday, April
26, East traveled to Minooka
and defeated the host Indians
7-1. Hunter and LaDere
led the offense with two hits
and three RBI piece. Storako
went the first five innings to
get the win and finished with
nine strikeouts.
Listen Up
“We knew West was going to be a tough
opponent. This was a big result to improve
our spot in conference and with our sectional
seeding.”
Bianca Galassini — Lincoln-Way East midfielder on their win
over West
TUNE IN
Softball
5 p.m. Friday, May 5
• East softball faces off against a strong Central
team during a cross-district game
Index
49 – Athlete of the Month
48 - Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Kirsten Onsgard, kirsten@
frankfortstation.com.