Junior right fielder Madison Kossakowski is a relative newcomer to the Kaneland softball program, but she’s quickly learning how to make friends by turning on the jets. And through their stomachs.
The motivational tool of Oppo Taco has been reaping dividends for coach Mike Kuefler, helping to improve the Knights’ record and satisfying his players’ appetites. He rewards them with tacos after a hitter takes an outside pitch to the opposite field for a home run or a high-impact hit.
Kossakowski, who transferred this season from Aurora Christian, has figured that out.
“I just wanted a little change — sports were a little limited,” said Kossakowski, who’s now a regular in the upper half of Kaneland’s batting order. “The transition, obviously, has been pretty good.
“The girls are so sweet. That makes it so much easier to blend in.”
Kossakowski stood out Tuesday for the host Knights, going opposite field for an inside-the-park home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning of a scoreless tie in a 4-1 win over Burlington Central in a Class 3A Kaneland Regional semifinal.
That hit helped advance Kaneland (16-11-1) to an 11 a.m. Saturday championship game against top-seeded Belvidere North (18-9), which received a semifinal bye.
“I wanted to get things started for us because once we get on a roll, then we just keep going,” Kossakowski said. “I came in with the mentality of just getting a base hit, anything through the gap on the right side, and it worked.”
Did it ever.
Junior right fielder Mia Eve Lindquist came charging in and made a valiant effort at a diving catch of the line drive for Burlington Central (10-18-1), only to have the ball skip past her.
“Holding up and not diving may have been the right call, but I’m always going to applaud the effort,” said Jason Edwards, who’s in his first year as the Rockets’ coach. “We’ve been preaching effort. That’s what I care about most.”
With the play in front of her, Kossakowski was motoring and picked up Kuefler in the coaching box at third base as Lindquist retrieved the ball.
“Coach was like, ‘Go, go, go,’” Kossakowski said.
Senior pitcher Ellie Peck, a Lewis recruit who threw a four-hitter with nine strikeouts for the win, pointed out that “Kos is really fast. We were like, ‘Send her. Send her home.’”
Kuefler did exactly that.
Kossakowski was worried it might be a close play at the plate, but she didn’t even have to slide.
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“That was really clutch,” Peck said. “It got us going.”
The Knights had four more hits in the inning — including a two-run single by senior left fielder Madison Anderson — and scored three more times.
“That play was a big icebreaker,” Kuefler said. “And the big thing is, I think it gave some of the other girls confidence that right field is where we’ve gotta start punching that ball.”
Senior left-hander Isabelle Reed only gave up three hits over the other five innings, striking out 10 for Burlington Central.
“Izzy has been a rock star for us,” Edwards said. “She couldn’t have had a better senior year.”
On the flip side, two big defensive plays helped Peck wriggle out of trouble in the third inning with runners on second and third with one out.
Senior third baseman Natalie Naab, a St. Norbert commit, came in on a knuckling grounder and threw home to sophomore catcher Lillyana Crawford for a tag of the runner.
“That was big,” Kuefler said. “Nattie made a good decision. That run changes our defense and our mindset, so shutting that kid down was big.”
Anderson then made a nice catch for the third out on a deep fly by sophomore Gianna Miceli, who later hit a solo homer in the sixth.
“Now, I have another taco day,” Kuefler said. “I have two I owe them.”