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Sara Ebner understands. Some things you never forget.
The Yorkville shortstop is one of four seniors in their third year on the varsity. And no doubt, the memory banks for all of them were going full throttle Thursday at West Aurora.
Although the Foxes won the Southwest Prairie West title last season, they lost twice to the Blackhawks. That feeling was palpable as the Foxes stepped on the field for warm-ups.
“Most of our girls from last year, we really wanted this win,” Ebner said.
They got it with a 3-1 victory behind the hitting of Ebner and the pitching of Madi Reeves, who took both losses last spring to Katelyn Serafin, West Aurora’s sophomore surprise.
Last season, the Blackhawks beat the Foxes 3-1 in conference play midway through May and then continued their Cinderella run with a 3-2 win in a Class 4A sectional semifinal.
But on Thursday, Ebner staked Yorkville (11-1, 2-0) to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single. The Green Bay recruit added a double to the left field fence in the fifth.
That accounted for two of only four hits off senior pitcher Alyssa Perkins, who delivered a strong performance in defeat for West Aurora (2-4, 0-2). It’s typical Ebner this spring.
“She’s been pretty consistent at the plate with these kind of numbers,” Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said. “We’re looking for contact and driving in runs in that (cleanup) spot.”
Reeves (8-1), meanwhile, was on the money, throwing a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk. She has 120 strikeouts this season with just nine walks and a 0.80 ERA.
“She was very Madi,” Regnier said of her ace right-hander. “There were a lot of weird things — close calls she thought would go one way and didn’t. That can get to you.
“She just kind of went with it thinking, ‘If I gotta get ‘em swinging, I’ll get ‘em swinging.’”
Ebner, who hit .365 last spring with six home runs and 32 RBIs, played third base the past two seasons with four-year starter Ellie Alvarez, who graduated, handling shortstop.
Feeling right at home, Ebner is hitting .529 this spring with eight RBIs.
“I’ve played shortstop three years now in travel,” Ebner said. “Third base here was where the team needed me. Coach asked me if I was good to play middle and willing.
“I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Wherever you need me.”
Ebner can also catch but freshman Kayla Kersting has stepped into that role, which was filled last season by another four-year starter in Avery Nehring.
“Defensively, Madi controls so much of the game,” Regnier said. “But there’s still many valued positions on the field, not matter what, and those are two of them.
“Ebner has a lot of range and can cover a lot of ground. She’s vocal and has some of the things you want in a shortstop. She’s in her spot there.”
West Aurora has found a spot for Serafin, who has not pitched this season after undergoing elbow surgery in November. She had been used hitting as the designated player.
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For Thursday’s game, Serafin played in right field for the first time off the bench this year.
Serafin lined the only hit of the game off Reeves down the left field line for a double in the second inning that scored Ionicca Rivera, who had drawn a one-out walk.
“I just think wait quick, wait back and then just go because she’s a fast pitcher,” Serafin said of Reeves, a Miami of Ohio recruit. “If I load too late, I’m going to miss the ball.
“I don’t think anything. If I overthink, I’m going to strike out. I just tried to stay relaxed, settle back and see the ball. It felt great because that was my first big hit of the season.”
Serafin reached second on an outfield error in the fourth and Perkins drove a ball to the warning track in center in the sixth, but that was the only noise for the Blackhawks.
Chalk one up for Reeves.
“Madi is definitely stone cold,” Ebner said. “She’s a competitor. She really wants to be out here.”
