In Local Softball Rivalry, It's Friars 4, Huskies 2

Olivia Soja didn't let youth stand in her way.

The sophomore came through like a veteran for Fenwick when she tripled home the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, and the Friars tacked on another run in the inning to edge host Oak Park-River Forest 4-2 as the programs renewed their softball rivalry Tuesday afternoon.

“Somebody had to get a hit,” Soja said. “I thought I might as well do it now.”

Alexandra Tomasek sparked the two-run seventh for the Friars with a one-out double into center. Soja followed by launching her triple deep down the right-field line to give her team a 3-2 lead.

“I haven’t been hitting as good as I’d like to so this was nice to finally get a good hit that means something,” Soja said.

Natalie Marotta lined a sacrifice fly to center to Soja to make it 4-2.

OPRF threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Ann Ryan led off with a single and Alana Weitzenfeld walked. But Fenwick pitcher Kerry Lange retired the next three hitters to earn the victory.

Lange allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three en route to improving to 2-2. One of the two runs the senior gave up was unearned.

“Kerry just does a great job of keeping the scores low,” Fenwick coach Jen Butler said. “She doesn’t give up big hits. She does a good job of keeping the batters off their step a little bit. I thought she did a great job being composed.”

Fenwick jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the second when Samantha Borawski led off with a double, moved to third on Marisa Wakely’s one-out single and scored on Samantha Carzoli’s sacrifice fly.

OPRF tied the game in the bottom of the second. Emily Bacalao lined a leadoff single and eventually scored from third when Jasmine Davis legged out a two-out, infield hit.

The Huskies took advantage of a pair of errors by the visitors to take a 2-1 lead with an unearned run in the fourth.

Fenwick tied the game in the fifth. Marotta singled with one out, advanced to third on Lange’s double and scored on a wild pitch.

The score stood tied at 2-2 until the Friars produced a pair of runs in the seventh on the way to evening their record at 4-4.

“This is a big game because we have a big rivalry with them,” Soja said. “This was one of our goals this season, to beat them, so it was a good win for us.”

“We’re crosstown rivals so obviously both teams really want to do the job and win, but for us really this is just a real turnaround year for us,” Butler said. “The program is building back from the past two years. We lost some close games last year and now we’re starting to win them.” 

Annie Ford took the loss as OPRF dropped to 1-7. It’s the worst start in Mel Kolbusz’s 19 seasons as Huskies coach.

“There’s been many seasons where we’ve lost less than seven games all season so it’s kind of a new experience for me and for everyone,” he said. “When everyone beats us they’re all hyped up about it because they beat Oak Park, but we’re just not performing real well right now.”      

Kolbusz noted the Huskies started 5-13 last season before finishing 21-18. He’s hoping this team can turn things around, too.

“I’m trying everything I can,” Kolbusz said. “I’ve given them two or three speeches already.”