St. Laurence coach Teagan Walsh doesn’t have to worry about upsetting senior second baseman Hazel Diaz when she bats her ninth in the order.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
The Moraine Valley commit relishes hitting behind her best friend — sophomore shortstop Demi Lotus.
“Oh, yeah, I love that,” Diaz said, eyes lighting up. “When I’m up to bat and she’s on deck before the inning starts, we’re always just talking. We’re like, ‘You’ve got it. You’ve got it.’
“We keep putting positive thoughts into each other’s minds. And it’s coming from Demi, so it’s special.”
They were a late inning dynamic duo Friday afternoon for the host Vikings in a 2-0 win over Richards in the Class 4A St. Laurence Regional championship game.
Maddie Misch stuck out six in a complete-game two-hit shutout for St. Laurence (23-6), which will meet host Marist at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in a sectional semifinal game. Viviana Chavez and Seton Hall recruit Vanessa Kates each drove in a run.
Mia Albon and Sophia Schaller came through with hits for Richards (20-11).
Diaz and Lotus, meanwhile, teamed up as heroes in the bottom of the sixth. Diaz started the inning by lining a base hit to right field. Lotus followed with a screaming liner down the left field line for a double.
“When Hazel got that hit, it made me really happy for her,” Lotus said. “And it made me think, ‘I’m next. I’m gonna get that hit.’ She is always there to hype me up.
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“She’s always reminding me of positive things. She’s just a great teammate.”
Diaz scored the first run on a sacrifice fly by Chavez. Lotus scored the second via a ground ball by Kates.
“It felt amazing,” Diaz said. “I feel especially great because we are now regional champs. I’ve been working really hard and I’m happy about how I’ve come along, especially with my backhands at second.”
Diaz was a gold glover in the field against Richards. She was flawless throwing to first and covering it. She recorded the final two assists of the game.
In the first inning, Richards had one on and one out when Diaz made a nice play on a sharp grounder, tagged the baserunner and threw the batter out for a double play.
“Yeah, I was thinking about that before the pitch,” Diaz said of the double play. “I’ve done it before in a game, so I was thinking that if it comes to me, tag her and go one.”
For the season, Diaz is batting .325 with 13 runs.
This is her second year on the varsity. Last spring, she was a middle infield backup, her main duty being as a courtesy runner. She scored 14 runs, getting one at-bat in the Class 3A state finals.
No complaints. No worries.
“Yes, I wish I had gotten more playing time last season, but it helped me earn the spot I have now,” Diaz said. “Of course, I was happy for my teammates. We’re a whole team.
“When I was running at practice, I’d always run as fast as I could because I knew that’s how it was going to be against other teams.”
As a senior, she has been a fixture in the lineup and a regular at second base. Walsh keeps her at the bottom of the order for one special reason.
“She’s just sneaky,” Walsh said. “I like to call her sneaky. She’s been clutch with the bat. My favorite memory is an inning against Providence earlier this season. She got things going with a little duck snort and it started a rally.
“Hazel is a kid who really earned her spot. It’s been great watching her just mature and grow over the last four years and the last two with us.”
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Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.