Bloom’s Patient Approach, Late Surge Overwhelm Crete-Monee 17-7

Patient at-bats and an explosive late-game offensive display powered the Bloom varsity softball team to a commanding 17-7 road conference victory over Crete-Monee on Monday afternoon.

The visitors built an early advantage and relentlessly pressured the Crete-Monee pitching staff, drawing an astounding 16 walks as a team to constantly put traffic on the basepaths. Bloom initiated the scoring with a single run in the top of the first inning, followed by two more in the second to establish a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Jordynn Witzel led the charge for Bloom both in the circle and at the plate. She tossed a complete game to earn the victory, striking out six batters over seven innings, and contributed heavily to her own cause by going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

Crete-Monee cut the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, receiving steady offensive production from the top of the order. Nadia Love finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double, and a walk, while Giselle Angulo delivered a pair of hits and drove in two runs for the hosts. However, Bloom completely broke the game open in the late frames.

In the top of the sixth, Bloom’s lineup erupted for seven runs, taking advantage of free passes and clutch hitting. They followed that up with a massive six-run seventh inning to put the game out of reach. Sophomore S. Sanchez was a major catalyst in the late surge, finishing a spectacular 3-for-4 day that included a pair of doubles, three runs scored, and three RBIs. A. Ortiz-Torres provided the power stroke for the visitors, launching a home run and driving in three runs while crossing the plate twice.

Kaylee Slattery took the loss in the circle for Crete-Monee, battling through five innings while issuing 11 walks against five strikeouts. Reliever Janelle Simpson recorded four strikeouts in her two innings of work, but the continuous stream of Bloom baserunners proved too much to overcome. Crete-Monee continued to fight, pushing across two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh, but the 13-run barrage by Bloom over the final two innings sealed the decisive 17-7 victory.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Note: Hit totals reflect the official team batting line.

Scoring Drives

• First Inning:

  • Bloom opens the scoring with 1 run in the top half.

• Second Inning:

  • Bloom extends the lead to 3-0 with 2 runs.

• Fourth Inning:

  • Bloom tacks on 1 run.

  • Crete-Monee responds with 2 runs to cut the deficit to 4-2.

• Sixth Inning:

  • Bloom erupts for 7 runs to take a commanding 11-2 advantage.

  • Crete-Monee plates 2 runs in the bottom half.

• Seventh Inning:

  • Bloom caps its offensive outburst with a 6-run frame.

  • Crete-Monee scores 3 runs before the final out is recorded.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Bloom: S. Sanchez (3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB); A. Ortiz-Torres (2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB); J. Witzel (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB); N. Banuelos (1-3, 2 R, 3 BB); S. Munoz (1-4, 2 R, 1 BB); N. Nardi (1-4, 2 R, 1 BB); M. Cluke (1-4, 2 BB); V. Guerrero (0-1, 1 R, 3 BB); A. Knaack (0-3, 3 BB).

• Crete-Monee: G. Angulo (2-4, 2 RBI); N. Love (2-3, 2B, 2 R, 1 BB); M. Robinson (1-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB); L. Guillermo (1-3, 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB); C. Sawallisch (1-1, 2B, 1 RBI); T. Ramirez (1-4, 2B, 1 R); R. Lindsay (1-2, 1 R); E. Gerth (1-2); M. Myers (1-2); A. O’Connor (0-2, 1 R, 1 BB).

PITCHING:

• Bloom: J. Witzel (W, 7.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K).

• Crete-Monee: K. Slattery (L, 5.0 IP, 9 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 11 BB, 5 K); J. Simpson (2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K).

BASERUNNING:

• Bloom: SB – N. Banuelos, V. Guerrero.