It’s not like being stranded on a desert island, but Yorkville senior Kaitlyn Roberts can sometimes relate to the character Tom Hanks plays in the 2000 movie “Cast Away.”
Roberts doesn’t stand at her defensive post and yell out “Wilson,” but it can get lonely in center field. That’s especially true when ace pitcher Madi Reeves is wheeling and dealing.
“You expect her to pitch a lot of strikes,” Roberts said. “It can get a little boring, but that’s what she does and that’s what our team needs. We all have to stay on our toes.”
Count Roberts as one of those on her toes Tuesday.
Reeves, a senior right-hander, threw a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk in lifting the Foxes to a 6-1 victory over Oswego East in a Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal.
The win advances Yorkville (33-2) to a 4 p.m. Friday championship game against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between West Chicago and Wheaton Warrenville South.
Oswego East (24-11) broke the shutout bid on a home run by Mia Corres in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t nearly enough as Reeves (22-2) boosted her strikeout total to 302.
Quite a spring it has been.
“I had a lot of rest since I hadn’t pitched since Friday and felt strong,” said Reeves, a Miami of Ohio recruit. “This was big for me, but we’re never settling.
“We always want more. I know this team is capable of a lot more.”
Sara Ebner broke a scoreless tie between Reeves and Oswego East’s Kenzie Gatz in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single down the right field line and came home on Sam Davidowski’s RBI single.
Ebner, a Green Bay recruit, then highlighted a three-run outburst in the fourth with a two-run double down the left field line.
More Top Picks How Irlen Syndrome Affects Math And Copying From The Board
“It’s a lot easier to pitch with a lead,” Reeves said.
Roberts, who went 0-for-2 with a walk in her first three at-bats, capped the scoring with a line drive over the fence in right-center for her fifth homer of the season.
“I was having her do different things in her earlier at-bats,” Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said. “So she didn’t get a bunch of normal swings.”
Things like attempt bunts, hit-and-run situations and taking short swings.
“That last time, it was her at-bat,” Regnier said. “And that time, she was able to take it out.”
In the field, Roberts had three chances, catching a fly ball in the third and making a nice running catch in the right-center gap in the seventh to rob Mary Kate Quaid.
She also went back deep on Nicole Stone’s line drive that glanced off her glove for a double.
“Kaitlyn is always ready, always on the ball,” Reeves said. “She’s always got my back. That last one was a great effort.”
Regnier expected more tests for her defense in the third meeting between the Southwest Prairie Conference rivals.
“Everybody on their team has pretty much seen her,” Regnier said of Reeves. “We didn’t throw her the second time we played this season, but they know what to expect to some extent.
“If that’s the case, we know we have to be ready for more balls in play. I think the defense was really well prepared.”
Regnier pointed out how Roberts, a Wisconsin-Stevens Point commit, does a lot for the Foxes.
“Whatever we’ve asked, as far as where she goes in the lineup, too,” Regnier said. “I think that’s really important because she’s such a team player. Kaitlyn covers so much ground.
“Fortunately, she doesn’t get that opportunity very often, but she’s made some really ridiculously good catches this year and taken care of business.”