Before the first day of Hinsdale Central softball tryouts, Julia Chatterjee and Lilja Carden had never met.
Their paths crossed for the first time during the preseason when the freshmen were added to the varsity roster by coach Lee Maciejewski. It looks like they’re going to share a long journey together.
“It’s important to have somebody there for you (your age),” Carden said of Chatterjee. “She’s an amazing player. I am learning from her every day. She’ll be a great teammate for the next four years.”
At Friday night’s annual District 86 showdown with Hinsdale South at Benedictine, Chatterjee and Carden were starters among a veteran group that hopes to challenge undefeated Oak Park-River Forest and perennial powerhouse Downers Grove North in the West Suburban Silver.
Both Chatterjee and Carden grew up in Hinsdale, but followed different paths on their way to becoming Red Devils. Chatterjee, a second baseman, was a longtime travel softball player. Carden, a left fielder, came from a baseball background with the Hinsdale Little League.
“I’m grateful to play with (the varsity),” Carden said. “It’s such an honor. I’m learning and trying to contribute the best I can. I’m trying to understand how they play.”
As the only freshmen on the varsity, they inherited the job of lugging around the ball buckets between the bus and dugout before and after road games. They decided to split their duties: Chatterjee always carries the bucket with the black lid and Carden grabs the one with the blue lid.
Despite the extra chores, Chatterjee said she’s happy to be on the varsity.
“It’s a good feeling,” Chatterjee said. “It’s been a goal for a while, making the varsity as a freshman. I have been playing a lot of softball since the second grade.”
On Friday, the Red Devils (4-2) beat the Hornets 16-3 in five innings as Annie Bruns, Taylor Glenn, Emma Day, Riley Burr and AnneMarie Tracey each tripled and combined for six RBI. Courtney Berlin scattered four hits and struck out seven for the win.
Chatterjee and Carden are still feeling their way early in the season. Chatterjee took some razzing from her teammates in the fourth inning when she dove back into first base after reaching on a fielder’s choice. However, there was no Hinsdale South fielder covering the base.
Carden also had an adventure in the field when she dropped a line drive by Morgan Macjen that not only curved, but appeared to become lost in the lights.
She’s filling a hole in the outfield for the first time after playing catcher and third base for her travel softball team, the Lisle Slammers.
“I’m doing my best to be an outfielder,” Carden said. “They needed an outfielder.”
At the plate, Chatterjee batted leadoff and went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Carden, hitting fifth, scored the first run in the third inning after reaching on an error.
When Carden first tried out for her softball travel team at age 10, it was the first time she had thrown a softball and she recalled that other girls snickered because she was using a baseball bat.
More Top Picks Best Wearable Migraine Devices For Relief
Carden made the Bulls-Sox Academy softball team and played there for three years and also played for the Downers Grove Rebels squad that placed third at nationals in Bowling Green, Ky.
“It was not an easy transition (to softball),” Carden said. “The baseball swing is different than softball. I still use a baseball swing.”
Chatterjee took a more conventional route to the Red Devils varsity and played shortstop for her travel team, the Kane County Explosion 14U Black. When she arrived at Hinsdale Central, she saw that Bruns was at shortstop, so Chatterjee found a new home at second base.
Chatterjee believes a reason why she made the varsity cut is because she’s a slap hitter.
“I definitely think it’s because of the slapping aspect of the my game,” Chatterjee said. “I think coach recognized it’s a difficult skill that requires speed and a lot of practice.”
Twitter: @geomwilcox