Warriors Offense Explodes in Upset Over Eagles

ST. CHARLES - The uniforms are the same. So are the players inside them.     But there is something vastly different about the softball team these days.    

"It's like we're a brand new team," said senior outfielder Sara Berjer.    

Explained senior third baseman Kelsey Denker, "All of a sudden, things are clicking for us."    

St. Charles West continued an amazing turnaround on Thursday afternoon by upsetting Orchard Farm 16-6 in the semifinals of the Class 3 District 6 Tournament at .    

The re-charged Warriors will face top-seeded Winfield (18-7) in the championship game of the six-team affair on Friday at 4:30 p.m.    

Third-seeded West struggled throughout the entire regular season losing 18 of 24 games. Coach Ellen Parker's squad appeared to be on the fast track to early elimination from post-season play.    

But then something happened--something even the players can't fully explain.

"The (regular) season was getting kind of routine," said Berjer. "I think we just kind of gave up on it. Since we're seniors, we just wanted to play well in districts."     

The Warriors (8-18) have done just that thanks to an impressive offensive explosion. They crushed 15-5 in a first-round game Wednesday before pounding highly-touted Orchard Farm (15-8) in a contest stopped after five innings by the mercy rule.    

In a span of 24 hours, West captured back-to-back games in impressive fashion after winning just six contests the first six weeks of the season.    

"We finally started hitting," said Parker. "We started looking for good pitches instead of swinging at anything that came by."    

The new and improved Warriors are more patient at the plate.    

"Everyone has been hitting throughout the whole order," said Berjer. "Once one of us hits, the others just follow."    

Such was the case on Thursday. Berjer, the leadoff hitter, had three hits including a pair of triples in an eight-run first-inning explosion. Denker went 4-for-4 and freshman Olivia Boyer ripped a first-inning grand slam.    

The third-seeded Warriors showed no mercy against Orchard Farm pitcher Emily Echele adding five runs in the third and three in the fourth to win going away. They batted around in two of the first three innings and went down in order only once.    

Freshman Ellie Ottensmeyer reached base four times. Cleanup hitter Sarah Lindsie Heifner reached base three times. Each member of the starting lineup got on base at least one time by the third inning. Sophomore catcher Brianna Barry, the No. 9 batter in the order, added a single and a double.    

"The seniors are really looking good," said Parker. "That could be it too. They don't want it to end."     

Senior pitcher Brooke Camenzind gave up three runs in the first inning but bounced back to record seven successive outs in the middle of the contest.     West took away any suspense early with the eight-spot in the top of the first. Berjer began the eruption with her first triple of a frame. A pair of errors and Denker's first of four singles pushed the lead to 3-0.    

The Warriors added another run on the third bobble of the inning. Junior Amanda Pavlacic followed with a hit to load the bases for for Boyer, who drilled a round-tripper to deep center.    

Boyer, Barry and senior Shannon McNamee got the ball rolling with hits to lead off the third. Ottensmeyer and Heifner followed with run-scoring hits. Denker added to the fun with a hit to make make it 13-3.    

"We had some growing pains to go through earlier in the season," said Parker. "The last two games, I couldn't be happier with the way we're playing."

West is looking to even the score with Winfield, which won the regular season meeting 8-1 on Sept. 1.    

Berjer and Denker both feel their team is capable of another upset.    

"We're a lot better now than we used to be," said Denker.