Crusaders firing on all cylinders

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

When the whole lineup hits, man, that’s awesome. The whole lineup was hitting, we played good defense behind (pitcher) Sydney (Jarvis), and she pitched a great game.”

Loren Menke, HTC Head Coach

WEST POINT — Holy Trinity’s softball team made fast work of Pekin on Monday night.
A lot faster than all of the hours Crusaders coach Loren Menke took getting the South Park field ready after a day of annoying rain and storms.
Even a storm that hit just an hour before the two teams were scheduled to play the junior varsity game couldn’t stop the night from continuing, and when it was time for the varsity game the Crusaders finished it in 3 ½ innings, winning 11-0.
Holy Trinity (9-3) struck for five runs in the first inning, four in the second inning, and two in the third, pounding 10 hits against the Panthers (2-5). Every Crusader in the lineup reached base, with seven getting at least one hit. 
“When the whole lineup hits, man, that’s awesome,” Menke said. “The whole lineup was hitting, we played good defense behind (pitcher) Sydney (Jarvis), and she pitched a great game.”
The Crusaders have won eight of their last nine games, and this one had some of the offensive strategy they’ve been employing in this recent run — they walked three times and had eight stolen bases.
“We want to be able to do the small things and put pressure on teams,” Menke said. “Tonight we didn’t do a lot of it, but if you can put bunts down, steal bases, make teams make plays, that’s definitely part of the game plan.”
Menke was out at the ballpark early in the morning working on the field after the overnight rain, then came back in the early afternoon to get the field ready. Then came the late thunderstorm that was brief, but still dropped enough rain for a few puddles on the field.
By the time the varsity game started, the field was perfect.
“Long day,” Menke said, laughing.
Then the Crusaders went to work.
Jarvis, hitting third, delivered a two-run home run in the first inning. Makayla Simpson hit a ball into a gap in the Pekin outfield and made it all the way around the bases to make it 3-0. Morgan Krogmeier, hitting eighth, later delivered a two-run single.
Designated player Claire Crabtree, catcher Ellie Hellman and Krogmeier each drove in runs in the second inning — Alivia Holmes scored the first run of the inning racing home when Jarvis was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike — then Cadyn Holmes and Simpson drove in runs in the third.
That was plenty for Jarvis, who allowed just three singles over four innings while striking out three.
The lone disappointment, Menke said with a laugh, was Jarvis didn’t get the fourth strikeout, which would have been the 300th of her career.
“We were hoping we could get that done,” he said, smiling. “We’ll just have to wait until the next game.
“She’s on a run here. She’s given up one run in her last three games. I give a lot of credit to her and the way she works with (assistant coach) DJ (DiPrima). She has a great game plan with DJ and Ellie.”