Andrew’s Madison Hanik had a bit of an identity crisis Tuesday when she strode to the plate for her second at-bat against Stagg.
The sophomore shortstop was introduced as … somebody else. Namely, teammate Morgan Magnabosco.
“Yeah, I heard it,” Hanik said. “It kind of got me. But I was like, ‘Oh, OK. So, I have to hit for Morgan.'”
With her teammates playfully shouting, “Go Morgan,” Hanik delivered an RBI double.
It was an excellent kick-start for the Thunderbolts during a 4-2 victory in the Class 4A Lockport Regional semifinals.
Madison Vrastil added three hits for Andrew (13-10). Kathleen Hester earned the pitching win, striking out 11.
Ava Zukowski and Addison Smith each had RBI doubles for Stagg (6-16-1).
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Hailey Morsovillo managed two hits for Andrew, which advanced to play at 4:30 p.m. Friday against the host Porters for the regional title.
Morsovillo also was in the middle of a wild, game-ending triple play.
Stagg had the bases loaded and nobody out when Jai Gutierrez hit a high fly to left field.
As the catch was being made by Marissa Adams, the runner on third broke for home and crossed the plate. Morsovillo, who came over from first base to take the cutoff, grabbed the ball and nailed another runner who had rounded third.
“Oh my gosh, I didn’t even know what was happening,” Morsovillo said. “I just didn’t want the game to be tied. I just wanted to get the ball in the circle, let the play stop and reset.
“Then I got the ball and saw the girl starting to run toward home, so I threw to third and she was out.”
Moments later, Hester flipped the ball to third base, appealing that the lead runner left too soon before the fly ball was caught. The home plate umpire concurred.
Stagg coach Justin Hawker briefly debated the call. But just for the record?
“Yeah, she left early,” Hawker said. “It was a good call.”
Hanik, meanwhile, is making a name for herself as a clutch hitter for Andrew in just her second season on the varsity. She’s batting .321 with nine runs and 14 RBIs.
“Maddie Hanik is a very hardworking girl,” Magnabosco said. “She keeps her personality in the game. She can get serious when she needs to be, but she’s also a very fun person. She’s very advanced for her level.”
The RBI double in the bottom of the fourth brought home the first run of the game. Hanik was making her first appearance in a week after battling through an illness.
“I didn’t have a good first at-bat and I wasn’t seeing the ball at all,” Hanik said. “I just focused more in the next at-bat and got the hit.”
Two batters later, the “real” Magnabosco singled home the third run of the inning.
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“That felt really good,” Magnabosco said, smiling. “It was nerve-wracking up to that point and we needed to build on the lead.”
Stagg’s Erin Cowe, meanwhile, was in her second game back after suffering a frightening injury in a May 16 game against St. Laurence.
The junior pitcher/outfielder was struck in the face mask with a line drive and fractured her jaw. She was back in the circle May 20. In Tuesday’s game, she started in center field but pitched the final two innings.
Cowe didn’t flinch when a line drive came up the middle. She speared the ball for an out. She also grabbed a high chopper and threw out another batter.
“I was having flashbacks,” Cowe said, smiling. “Honestly, you just have to go with it. When you’re pitching, being that close, you have to expect stuff like that.
“It just felt so great to be back on the field with my teammates.”