By Kevin Cunningham
Correspondent
Going up against the top team in Division 1 and another consistently mentioned within the top-10, the Delavan-Darien High School softball team was tested heading into the final stretch of the regular season. On May 18, the Comets played Wilmot Union, which is 9-3 overall.
After giving up two runs in the first inning, Delavan-Darien answered with four of its own in the second. The game went back and forth as Wilmot took the lead back in the fourth, but the Comets scored two in the sixth, making the score, 6-5.
Wilmot had its final chance in the bottom of the seventh and made the most of it, scoring two runs, winning 7-6. Six of the seven runs were earned against senior pitcher Jennah Speth, who as of late has been dominant on the mound.
At the plate, Amber Reed gave the Comets a bulk of its offense, contributing four RBIs with her two hits – one of which was a home run. Following the first loss after the team’s nine-game winning streak, Delavan-Darien had a road matchup against the No. 1-ranked team in Westosha Central.
The Comets may have been coming off a loss, but even in a game where the team struck out 11 times, the two runs it scored were enough thanks to Speth’s bounce-back performance. Speth allowed five hits and struck out four batters in her one-run performance. The lone run surrendered was not earned and she threw 84 pitches in the game, 60 of them strikes.
Entering the sixth inning, Delavan-Darien trailed 1-0, but thanks to Cindy Crawford’s single and a fielder’s choice out on Morgyn DeLara, the Comets’ two runs put up in the inning were enough.
The Comets took its win on May 19 over the top-ranked team and continued its success Friday as the team had two games against Monroe and Kenosha Tremper. In the game against Monroe, the offense was prominent.
In the bottom of the first, the Comets put up four runs, in large part due to Brooke Bass’ three-run triple. In the second, the team added two more to its lead.
Jaida Speth allowed four hits and three runs in the game, leading to the team’s 7-3 victory. In the second game of the day, the Comets played Kenosha Tremper and never trailed. Despite never falling behind, the game went eight innings and was tied after seven, 3-3.
Following the scoreless seventh, Delavan-Darien put up two runs and kept Kenosha Tremper from scoring in the bottom half of the inning. The Comets out-hit the Trojans, 10-5. Jennah Speth had another good day pitching, going all eight innings and striking out 15 batters in the process.
After the successful end to the regular season Friday, the Comets were scheduled to begin regional play against Clinton on Tuesday at West Park in Darien.
