Braget's pep talk sparks Lockport

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

FRANKFORT -- Lockport Township High School senior center fielder Katelyn Braget has a Division I scholarship to play softball at DePaul next season.

But she might want to get a job as a motivational speaker, too.

When things looked dim for the Porters, Braget's bravado fired them up. The result was Lockport rallying for four runs after two were out in the top of the seventh to stun Lincoln-Way East 5-3 in a SouthWest Suburban crossover Thursday afternoon.

The Porters (11-2, 4-1) had committed three errors after two were out in the bottom of the sixth to help East (6-4, 1-4) score a pair of runs and take a 3-1 lead.

"We came in after that half inning and we were kind of down," Lockport junior first baseman Alyssa Vorel said. "But Katelyn Braget came in and said, 'We're not out of it, we can come back. Just believe in ourselves.' "

That's exactly what the Porters did after East left the door open.

A one-out error by the Griffins allowed Lockport senior left fielder Courtney Kutsulis to reach base.

But one out later, Kutsulis was still at first when Lockport junior right fielder Brittany Gonsoulin stepped up.

Gonsoulin had dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded in the sixth that allowed the two Griffin runs to score.

This time, she smashed a one-hop shot to third that Ron Santo couldn't have fielded in his prime. It went for a base hit to put runners at first and second.

"I was so upset that they scored two runs because of my error, but the team picked me up and Katelyn fired everyone up," said Gonsoulin, who had three straight singles after striking out in her first at-bat. "(In the seventh) I was just thinking hit the ball down and hard and it happened."

Braget, who was hitless in her first 3 at-bats, then backed up her talk as she jumped on a 2-0 pitch and bounced a single up the middle to drive in Kutsulis and make the score 3-2.

Junior catcher Samantha Stanicek (2-for-4) followed with a first-pitch single to center to plate Gonsoulin, who was safe at third on a close play following Braget's hit, and tie the game.

Up stepped Vorel, who fouled off five straight pitches before working the count to 2-2 and lining a single to left to score Braget from third with the go-ahead run.

"Hitting all those fouls gave me more confidence," said Vorel, who finished 2-for-4. "I was on the ball, knew I could hit it and swung for it. This gives us tons of confidence. We banded together and now we know we can come back."

"Alyssa has stepped up for us all week," Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. "Because of injuries and illness, she's the third different person we're used at first base this year. That shows our depth and she can do the job.

"We came in the huddle between innings and said we had to put those errors behind us. We still had an at-bat. We just had to play for singles and put the ball in play."

Vorel's hit chased East sophomore right-handed pitcher Caitlin Santefort (2-for-2), who allowed 10 hits and one earned run while walking none and striking out 2. The Porters tacked on their final run on an error.

East took a 1-0 lead in the third when senior first baseman Rosie Wysocki socked a line shot that tipped off the top of the right field fence and went over for a homer.

Lockport tied the game in the fourth on a one-out pinch-hit single from junior Amy Pruim.

Junior righty Dana Bowler (6-2) earned the complete game victory. She allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked one.

"Dana's experience on the varsity last year has helped her mental toughness," Chovanec said.

Senior center fielder Ashley Linhart had the Griffins lone hit, a single to left center to put runners at first and second, in the bottom of the sixth.

The loss was another agonizing one for the Griffins, who are undefeated outside the league, but have lost their four conference games by a total of 6 runs.

"Lockport did a good job of hitting the ball," East coach Katie Meader said. "We were making plays early, but they were able to hit it through us and put pressure on at the end."

Meader, nee Blackmore, was an all-state center fielder for the Porters in the late-90s. She helped Lockport to the Class AA state title in 1997 and a third-place finish in 1999. This was her first game as a coach against her old school.

"Clearly, playing at Lockport is not something you just put behind," Meader said. "I have a proud place in my heart for it and respect for the Lockport tradition, but now I'm a Griffin."