Kits softball to meet at the diamond for a double header season opener
Photo by Jesse Bond
March 17, 2017
Let’s play two.
The Softball team will kick off the year with a double header against the Taft Eagles at home on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Taft knocked the Kits out of the IHSA playoffs last year with a 7-6 victory in the regional semifinals, where Evanston battled back from a 7-0 deficit with two innings left, but the late rally came up just short.
“The game last year is a big motivation,” coach Katie Perkins said. “We also played them earlier in the season and beat them, but then fell short in the regional game. So I think we are ready for some revenge, to take back what we should’ve taken last year.”
The postseason heartbreaker is also still fresh in the memory of the players.
“After that game, I was distraught and I know our seniors were too,” senior pitcher and outfielder Jaden Janzen said. “I think there is going to be some added motivation.”
Unlike last year, when the Kits got off to a sluggish start against the Eagles, they are looking for the intensity they need right out of the gate.
“This year, we’ll try to show up and play our own game,” Perkins said. “I think we were just a little too nervous and showed up a little bit too late in the game last year to come out on top.”
Even though the girls set an ETHS record for wins in a season and won their first ever Central Suburban League South championship last year, they have even bigger expectations for this year’s team.
“I think our team will keep getting better this season,” senior infielder Gwyn Hodges said. “We have a lot of seniors of the team who are experienced and have played for the past four years. We’re just excited to see the program get more recognition and get better as the years go on.”
The Kits have a lot of players returning from last season’s roster and the team only lost two seniors last year. This could definitely help the Kits make a deep postseason run.
“We’ve got 12 players that played on varsity last year who will come back this year,” Perkins explained. “So I really think we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
After the doubleheader against Taft, the girls will face DePaul Prep at home on Tuesday at 4:45. Then they face off with Northside College Prep at the same time on Thursday at ETHS.
