Softball: Romeoville Falls to Bolingbrook 7-3

The performance of Bolingbrook senior pitcher Eryn Pondo dispatched Romeoville’s offense as the Raiders beat the Spartans 7-3 Saturday.

Pondo, who pitched seven-innings of three-run softball despite giving up nine hits, got out of a couple key jams to stave off Spartan comeback attempts.

In the third inning trailing 3-0, Romeoville had runners on first and third with one out. Spartan junior Michelle Spillman was then caught stealing second base by a laser throw by Bolingbrook junior catcher Marisa Cinquepalmi. Then, Romeoville sophomore Abby Smith grounded out. 

The fourth saw a towering solo homer towards left-center from Romeoville sophomore Ceara Floyd for a 3-1 game. Junior Hattie Holland singled and senior Jami Shawmeker walked. A throwing error by Bolingbrook sophomore Nikki Wood tightened the score to 3-2 with runners on second and third, but Pondo induced senior Jessica Kehoe to pop up.

“She did a nice job on the mound,” Bolingbrook head coach Jean Ryan-Moak said. “She’s a senior pitcher. She’s been in similar circumstances before where we have runners on and one out. She is good at pitching out of jams.” 

Romeoville junior pitcher Melissa Guzior had a rough fifth inning where Bolingbrook scored four runs. She gave up a double to Wood and an RBI single to Pondo. Raider junior Ashley DeLuca then launched a two-run homer for a 6-2 score.

Guzior was removed after giving up a single to Cinquepalmi and hitting junior Ashley DeLuca with a pitch.

“A few missed spots is what happened,” Romeoville head coach Christina Douglas said of Guzior’s fifth inning. “We called some pitches based off charts and stats. It was just a few misses spots and good hitting.”

Douglas had junior Elaina Caron fill in and she allowed one run in the fifth. However, Caron gave up one hit in the sixth and seventh frames.

“She didn’t find the strike zone the first few batters, but then she shut them down the last two innings,” Douglas said.

Floyd hit another solo shot in the sixth, but the Spartans could not muster another run. 

Bolingbrook (6-10) began the game with a single by Wood and two RBI doubles by Pondo and Cinquepalmi. Junior Rachel Anderson had an RBI in the second.

Romeoville (11-14) will play Plainfield East for its senior night 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at home. Douglas said her team has to finish the season strong before hosting West Aurora May 23 in regional action. 

“They have all the tools necessary to be successful,” Douglas said. “It’s just applying what they know and what we teach. We are making things complicated instead of simplifying our approach.”