DEKALB — She showed them.
Call it motivation or inspiration, but the move definitely put a chip on the shoulder of Ahlivia East. And the senior first baseman made the most of her opportunity for Oswego.
Visit betsport24.es for more information.
When the fourth batter of the game who hits in front of you is intentionally walked with one run in, one runner on, one out and first base open, well, it certainly gets your attention.
“It’s happened once before, in the Yorkville game,” East said. “They intentionally walked Jaelynn (Anthony). It’s kind of a little slap in the face and it’s fun like, ‘Oh, haha.’
“But it feels good then to get a hit. ‘OK, you’re gonna walk her? I’m a pretty good hitter, too. Put some respect on my name.’”
East earned some respect Monday, ripping a two-run double to right-center to highlight a four-run first inning for the Panthers in 7-5 win over previously unbeaten Barrington in the Class 4A NIU Supersectional.
Not to be denied, East added another two-run double to the right-center to headline a 14-hit attack as Oswego (23-11) advanced to state for the third straight year. The Panthers will play at 4:45 p.m. Friday in a semifinal against Mundelein (23-5) at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
Last season, East was in the dugout for the state championship game as Oswego beat Barrington 4-1.
“I was the team manager because I was out with an ACL injury — tore it in basketball,” East said. “I couldn’t play and decided I still wanted to be a part of the team. I was at all the games.”
On paper Monday, the strategy of Barrington coach Perry Peterson made sense. Walk Anthony, a Purdue recruit and .367 hitter, to get to East, who was batting .253.
That decision went south, however, for the Fillies (37-1).
East struck out in between her two doubles, then stepped up the plate in the sixth with Anthony on first via a one-out single. Looking to add an insurance run, East came full circle with Peterson deciding to intentionally walk her.
“I’ve been quiet in the playoffs,” said East, who boosted her season RBI total to 21. “I have hitting lessons, work in my basement and take swings as much as I can and attended every optional practice we had, just trying to hone my skills, support my team and support my pitcher.”
The payoff came in that first at-bat.
“I haven’t been seeing the ball the best, so we talked about having a plan for this game,” East said. “We knew their pitcher was going outside with her pitches.
“I told myself to split the plate and focus on the outside pitch and hunt it. I knew it was there, kind of drove my hands trying to hit it and I did.”
After striking out, she took practice swings behind the dugout trying to get her rhythm back and had confidence before hitting the second double, which came on a 1-2 pitch.
It was her six double of the season to go with three home runs.
“I tell myself to take a deep breath, choke up on the bat and get my bat out there,” she said. “Try to cover the plate.”
The big hits didn’t surprise Anthony, who has pitched every playoff inning this season for the Panthers, who started out 0-4 after sustaining heavy graduation losses from last year’s title team.
“Ahlivia has kind of been a missing piece for us,” Oswego coach Annie Scaramuzzi said of the four-year varsity basketball player. “I feel like she’s the one we’ve been waiting to do that because we see her every single day.
“She hasn’t moved in the lineup, regardless of how she’s been doing because we know what she’s capable of — to swing the way she did (Monday). I’m super proud of her.”