The Lyons Township softball team bus arrived a half-hour late due to traffic, but the Lions’ rally came just in time against Oak Park on Friday.
Trailing the host Huskies 4-1 entering the top of the seventh inning, LT (7-4, 2-2 West Suburban (Silver) Conference) scored five runs against Oak Park ace Leah Bry to pull off a 6-4 win.
“For us to come back in the last inning, we have done that three times now this year,” Lyons Township coach Dawn Schabacker. “Hitting does wonders for a team. This group just keeps on believing that they can get it done.”
After Sarah Hanlon and Katie Morgan started the seventh reaching base via a throwing error and single, the Lions’ Kim Schrepfer smashed a two-base hit down the third base line to pull LT within 4-2. Alyssa Smith added a run-scoring single scoring Morgan to close the gap to 4-3. Bucknell-bound shortstop Caryn Connors then hit a sacrifice fly that plated Smith to knot the game at 4-4.
With two outs and Connors on third base, junior Karen Caithamer drove in the game-winning run with a sharp single to center and advanced to third on another Huskies’ error. Caithamer scored a valuable insurance run to put LT up 6-4 when a Bry pitch bounced in front of Oak Park catcher Lauren Flannery.
Lyons sophomore starter Alyssa Koziol (5-2) scattered seven hits en route to a complete game victory.
“We came ready to play and my defense supported me,” Koziol said. “I think we are capable of doing a lot this season because we have good players that really pull for each other.”
Connors (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) put the Lions up 1-0 when she hit a home run off Bry in the first.
In the Huskies’ half of the first inning, centerfielder Emily Bacalao led off with a walk. After Hannah Press struck out, Flannery blasted an apparent two-run homer to center which would have given Oak Park a 2-1 lead. But just before Flannery touched home plate a teammate touched her, which was ruled interference by the umpire. Consequently, Flannery’s drive over the fence was ruled a triple and then an out for interference to make it 1-1.