She’s the comeback kid.
To a casual observer, the late-game pinch hitter stepping into the batter’s box Tuesday at Oswego East didn’t seem extraordinary, but Yorkville senior Brooke Ekwinski knew better.
So, too, did anxious teammates watching from the dugout along with coach Jory Regnier and assistant Megan Leadbetter, stationed at their regular posts at third and first base, respectively.
“I’ve been out,” Ekwinski said afterward, explaining her unique situation. “This was my first time at bat this season. It was kind of out of the blue and more than I expected.
“I got cleared Monday to come out and hit, so I can hit and run to first base.”
It’s just 60 feet, but Ekwinski has come a long way from the October flag football injury that threatened to wipe out all of her third varsity softball season.
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Six months to the day since having knee surgery for a torn ACL and both menisci cartilage, Ekwinski lined a one-hop smash that hit third base and caromed up and out into left field for a single in the Foxes’ 7-0 Southwest Prairie Conference win.
Her sixth-inning appearance didn’t impact the outcome of the three-hit shutout being thrown by sophomore pitcher Isabella Rosauer for Yorkville (19-6, 7-1).
Sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Mendez and Rosauer tallied two hits apiece to lead a 10-hit attack and the Foxes had already taken advantage of four errors to score five unearned runs off the Wolves (13-7, 3-5).
But Ekwinski’s appearance meant a ton, which is why teammates cheered like she had just hit a game-winning home run.
It’s also why Leadbetter greeted Ekwinski with a hug at first base and Regnier did the same after she jogged off the field, replaced by a pinch runner.
“It hit the bag and was fair all the way,” Regnier said. “That’s as far as she could go and she was safe. You should see how hard she worked.
“We’re happy and we are embracing the fact she could do this. It’s where we’re at right now. Who knows what could happen in a couple weeks? For now, we’ll use her as we feel we can.”
Ekwinski, who has signed to play softball in college at St. Xavier, was careful to avoid a setback before getting full clearance that she was told could take up to nine months.
She was playing quarterback and running the football about five minutes into Yorkville’s eventual regional championship game win when she was injured.
“Basically, I took one wrong step and heard something pop and went down,” she said. “I didn’t know what it looked like to get playing time at all this season. I had the mindset I wasn’t going to be able to play at all, so it’s awesome to get out here so early in the season.”
Her teammates are amazed, according to Iowa recruit Kayla Kersting, a senior catcher.
“She got her surgery and was back in the weight room a week later,” Kersting said of Ekwinski. “Not many athletes would do that. You could tell she wanted it so bad.
“She was positive and took all the steps he needed to do to get back, It’s so special to see someone have all that effort come out on the field.”
Ekwinski, who hit .305 and played the outfield as a sophomore, moved to third base last season and hit .314. She will continue working with her physical therapist three times a week.
“She’s a motivated kid,” Regnier said. “We told her it was OK if she wasn’t ready. We had no expectations. This is just like a bonus.”
Ekwinski, who said she was just trying to return as soon as she could, wouldn’t change a thing.
“There’s nothing I could have done to prevent this, it just happened,” she said. “I would definitely recommend playing flag football. It was one of the best things in my life, even though I got hurt.
“It was just a blast.”