Less than two years into high school, Warren’s Nicolle Peter has already placed an expiration date on her softball career.
Early in the fall, the sophomore infielder even decided against playing travel softball.
“I didn’t want to play in college anymore,” Peter said. “I felt that was not the path I wanted to go. I didn’t want to do all that extra stuff, then to throw it all away.
“It was a hard decision. I thought about it for a while. My parents supported me with my decision.”
Peter, whose older sister Mollie played center field for the Blue Devils and graduated in 2016, said she was mildly surprised a year ago when she earned a starting spot on a team stocked with talent and expectations.
“I got into softball because of my sister,” Peter said. “I always would watch her play games and also play at Warren. I remember one time she caught a ball over the fence. I wanted to play just like her.
“Last year I just worked really hard and put in all my effort. I was hoping I would make varsity. I was very excited to be a starter. I was little nervous, but I knew all of my hard work would pay off and that I knew how to play.”
Warren coach Jenna Charbonneau said she wasn’t afraid to put the 5-foot-2 Peter in the starting lineup last season, when the Blue Devils reached a Class 4A supersectional.
“She moves really well in the field,” Charbonneau said. “She’s great on the ground and covers well on pickoffs and on bunt coverages. She’s not afraid to get her nose in there.
“We put her in quite a few situations. She can get the bunt down, is quick on the bases. She doesn’t have (ideal) height, but she makes up for it with a really powerful swing. She has the most hard-hit balls for us, mostly line drives. She’s hitting the ball hard.”
Peter said she’s excited to develop into a leader in the latter stages of her career for Warren (8-4).
And like most teenagers, she isn’t ruling out changing her mind about the future.
“Right now, I just want to put all of my effort into softball and try my hardest,” Peter said. “Good things will come.”
Super Sequoits: Antioch, which won the Class 3A third-place game last year, is one of the hottest teams in the Midwest.
The Sequoits (11-0) have outscored opponents 123-8 this season, invoking the 10-run rule eight times, and that dominance extends to all areas of the game.
On Thursday, senior pitcher Syerra Gilmore (4-0) allowed her first run of the spring during Antioch’s 15-1 victory against Grayslake North. She has a 0.63 ERA with 39 strikeouts. Junior ace Jacey Schuler (7-0), a Michigan State commit, has a 0.58 ERA with 75 strikeouts.
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On offense, the Sequoits have 17 home runs and 35 stolen bases.
“We are putting up video game numbers,” Antioch coach Anthony Rocco said. “Our pitching has been outstanding between Jacey and Syerra. Our defense still hasn’t made an error through 11 games. I believe that gives our pitchers more confidence.
“Offensively, we’ve had the biggest improvement. We have been very consistent and have had big games from key players. We’ve been getting great production from our four freshmen. They have all contributed with power and speed. We also have great depth off the bench with players with unique skill sets. We have been playing as a team and have one goal in mind, and that’s to return to state.”
Bulldogs show bite: Wauconda is gearing up for its Northern Lake County Conference showdown against Antioch on Thursday.
The Bulldogs (10-4), who will also play Barrington, Carmel and Cary-Grove in the next week, have won seven games in a row. They’ve outscored opponents 101-17 since dropping three straight to out-of-state teams during their spring break trip.
Senior infielder Haley Baldwin is hitting .632 with 10 RBIs in the past five games. Senior infielder Savannah Powers, a Monmouth commit, is hitting .667 with 10 RBIs in her past 18 at-bats.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
