New Trier Softball: Trevians Top GBS To Take CSL South Lead

In a CSL South matchup featuring two of the conference’s best pitchers, the difference came down to a couple of sacrifice bunts.

After Glenbrook South’s Kim Lohre tied the game on a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning off New Trier’s Brigit Ieuter, the Trevian offense broke through for two runs in the ninth inning and New Trier (7-6, 4-0 CSL South) came away with a crucial 4-2 win over Glenbrook South (8-6, 3-1 CSL South).

“We were put in the position where we had to find out whether we could execute small ball and we did,” New Trier coach John Cadwell said. “The girls put the bunts down, there was good baserunning. You can’t depend on being able to put one in the gap; you’ve got to be able to manufacture things.”

Shorstop Ryan Lee led off the ninth inning with a solid single to center field off Glenbrook South’s Jen Zuker and Cadwell called for Eileen Hurley to bunt. Hurley laid down the sacrifice and Glenbrook South’s throw to first was low, giving New Trier runners at first and second. Catcher Molly Morrison advanced the runners with another sacrifice bunt and Leah Herlocker and Mimi Morris followed with RBI singles.

“We’re getting into a phase which we’ve been emphasizing of situational hitting,” Cadwell said. “Think about putting the ball down, get it on the ground, punch the ball through. Do something that’s going to advance the runners. The girls are starting to really buy into that.”

New Trier scored the first two runs of the game in much the same fashion. A hit from 1B Chelsea Delaney followed by a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single resulted in the game’s first run in the second inning. The Trevians scored again in the fourth when Delaney walked, moved to second base on a groundout, and came around to score on an error from Glenbrook South’s second baseman.

It looked like that was all the offense New Trier would need with their ace on the mound. Ieuter, a 5-foot-8 junior, cruised through the first five innings, giving up only one hit – a bunt single – and striking out nine batters.

But after a walk to Maddy Stark with two outs, Lohre crushed a pitch over the wall in left-center.

“It wasn’t exactly where I wanted it go,” Ieuter said. “She had a really good hit, but those things happen and we needed to put it behind us.”

Ieuter pitched the final three innings, giving up only one hit, and allowed New Trier’s offense to come through again.

“Brigit didn't lose her concentration after that home run," Cadwell said. “It would have been easy for her to do that, but she was confident and composed and kept us in the game."

Thursday’s game broke a deadlock between New Trier and Glenbrook South atop the CSL South standings. The two teams will play again on May 9 at New Trier.

New Trier faces off against Lincoln-Way Central in a doubleheader on Saturday.

“We’ve come a long way since the beginning of the season,” Ieuter said. “In this game, really towards the end, we really put it together and executed a lot of things very well. We’ve gained a lot of experience.”