Emma Salis would just as soon hit your bat as miss it.
It’s a plan that is working out well this week for the Oswego East pitcher.
Salis pitches to contact, and when her defense is performing like it did Thursday against Wheaton Warrenville South in a Class 4A regional championship game, it can be magic.
Salis struck out just one batter but threw a four-hit shutout as Oswego East won 3-0 for its third regional title in program history.
The win sends fourth-seeded Oswego East (15-10) to a sectional semifinal Tuesday at top-seeded Yorkville, which beat Batavia 10-0 in a regional final.
Salis took advantage of a steady wind blowing in Thursday and recorded 11 outs on fly balls against the Tigers (16-9).
Her defense, especially the outfield trio of Megan Leonard, Mia Corres and Madye Greenwood, was outstanding in an error-free performance.
“My goal is to get pop-ups or grounders to the infield for easy outs,” Salis said.
In contrast, Wheaton Warrenville South pitcher Katey Pierce was victimized by three errors. A pop fly down the right field line that probably should have been caught fell for a double that led to one of the runs.
Catcher Morgan Robertson calls the game for the right-handed Salis, who also was the winning pitcher in an 11-1 win against West Chicago in the playoff opener Tuesday. The junior duo have been clicking.
“I like being able to see what is working for Emma and call it,” Robertson said. “Sometimes a pitch isn’t working well, so you avoid it.”
With Salis able to throw five pitches, Robertson has plenty of options.
“Her curveball was very good today,” Robertson said. “It hit the outside corner every time. And her screwball was up and inside, and a lot of times they popped it up.”
Salis induced five outs on infield pop-ups, and shortstop May Pasqualini made a diving catch of a liner that was rivaled only by the diving grab of a fast-falling fly in short right field by Greenwood in the seventh.
“I think that diving catch at the end was the best one,” Robertson said.
Greenwood had five outfield assists. So did Leonard, the team’s lone senior and a Western Illinois recruit.
Interestingly, both have primarily played the infield — mostly third base — for travel teams. Their moves to the corner outfield spots have been key in solidifying the defense for coach Sarah Davies-Dymanus.
“I typically play third, but I knew all the infield spots were covered, so I just found a position that wasn’t taken yet,” Greenwood said. “On that last one, I was like, ‘I really hope I catch this.’ I knew if I missed it, she would just get a single.
“What’s also great is that our second baseman, Gracie Vlach, covers a lot of ground. She catches a lot. I don’t care where I play as long as it’s not first base because I’m just 4-foot-11.”
Kailey Goetz staked Salis to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the second. Greenwood added an RBI single in the third, and Mackenzie Gatz doubled in the fourth, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a wild pitch.
Oswego East has played Yorkville twice this season in Southwest Prairie Conference action, losing 12-3 and 4-1 against hard-throwing sophomore pitcher Madi Reeves.
“I think we can get her this time,” Robertson said. “We’ve played her twice, and now it’s time to time her up and hit her. If we play tough defense, I think we’ve got it.”