Neuqua Valley makes the trip to the North side of Naperville as they take on Naperville North for some softball action. The Wildcats march in looking for a 5-0 start in the DVC, while the Huskies are excited to take the field after picking up their first conference win over Waubonsie Valley. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Sara Rossi gets the Husky bats going
In the first inning, Sara Rossi gets the momentum going for the Huskies with a base hit out to left field.
Reese Pederson is up with two on and despite grounding out, Rossi crosses home plate to secure the game’s first run as North leads 1-0.
Pederson is doing what she can in the third inning to bring runners home. She flies outit, but it’s another RBI as Rossi makes it home. Three sac flies, and two RBI groundouts gives Naperville North a 5-0 lead after three.
The Wildcats get a spark with Tegan Spellerberg throwing down to Nalia Clifford at second who tags the base runner and retires the side.
Tegan Spellerberg goes yard to get Neuqua back in it
In the top of the fifth, it’s Spellerberg again, this time up to bat, and she destroys this hit over the fence in left. Spellerberg with a two-run bomb to get the rally train going as the Wildcats are on the board, trailing 5-2.
Runner on and here’s Cora Dickson with a shot into right center and around comes Clifford and Ashley Pape to score, and we’ve got a 5-4 ball game.
We are still in the fifth and the Wildcats are still chugging along because Esha Argawal ties the game at 5 with an RBI double.
That score remains the same as we head to the seventh inning, where Krista Waldusky hopes to get the Cats in front with this hit.
Dickson hopes to tack on the go ahead run, but she pops one up and Dylan Witzigreuter makes a great catch to stop the threat. Now the Huskies have a chance to win it as we head to the bottom of the seventh.
It’s a positive start with Rossi as she displays her third base hit of the game, and she represents the winning run.
However, the Huskies forgot about Wildcat pitcher Ava Drehs, who stepped into relief in the fourth inning and gets a huge punchout to send this game to extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, the game heads to the ninth. Spellerberg thinks she has another dinger, but this one hits the fence and lands in fair territory, resulting in a double for the Wildcat. She scores on passed ball to give Neuqua its first of the game at 6-5.
Up steps Argawal, who helps the blue and gold with a laser into left-center, allowing pinch runner Jean Peske comes home to score. The Wildcats hold a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the frame.
Naperville North keeps the game alive in the bottom of the ninth
North is down but not out, so Fae Bretag keeps their hopes alive with a hit that lands where nobody can catch it.
Back to Rossi, who smacks her fourth hit of the game, and it’s a big one because Bretag turns the corner and scores, making it a one-run game at 7-6.
To Pederson, whose chopper bounces off the fielder and Witzigreuter runs home, this game is tied again at seven, after nine innings.
Let’s go to the 11th, still tied at 7-7. Pape launches a bullet into center field, far enough to allow her to hustle into second base for a lead-off double.
Cora Dickinson comes to bat and delivers. Pape crosses the plate, and Neuqua retakes the lead 8-7 thanks to Dickson’s RBI single.
The rally train is still alive as Sydney Benedict pokes her hit into right as Krista Waldusky and Dickson are safe by a mile. The Wildcats break it open and lead 11-7, eighteen hits in the game for the blue and gold.
Ava Drehs with 19 K’s to seal a Neuqua Valley softball win
As for Drehs, she goes one, two, three and strikes out batter number nineteen on the day. Neuqua Valley softball completes the comeback with an 11-7 extra-inning win over Naperville North.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
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