I'm a big believer in "the hump" - that imaginary mental obstacle that gets in the way of teams usually on the losing end of a rivalry for consecutive games. Some people might say, "Whatever. If you're talented enough, you'll win." I disagree. Something happens to even the most talented squads when they encounter "the hump." It's not easy to explain, but you can almost taste the feeling of inevitability that favors the winning team. Call it a mental haze, but the longer consecutive losses continue, the thicker it becomes.
I've only gotten to witness the clearing of that haze three times in my sports writing career: 1) When Waubonsie Valley football beat Neuqua Valley last season; 2) When Illinois football beat Wisconsin in Big Ten play; and 3) When Naperville Central softball pulled out a 2-0 victory over Plainfield Central on Wednesday to advance to their first sectional title game since 1989. Some rivalries go back and forth and I'll admit that having balance is special and probably more satisfying for fans, but in my mind nothing beats clearing "the hump."
Following the Redhawks win, pitcher Natalie Wunderlich was honest about playing their top-seeded foe.
The junior who threw 11 strikeouts and gave up one hit in 11 innings for her 10th shutout of the season said she wasn't looking forward to facing them because she knew how good they were, but she also knew they could beat them. They've been so close, so many times.
Naperville Central's 1-0 loss to their rival on April 29 marked the third time in a row that Plainfield Central had beaten the Redhawks by one run, including 1-0 in 12 innings in the 2006 regional title game. The Wildcats won it in the bottom of the 12th. During the regular season meeting, Stephanie Kirkpatrick hit a game-winning double in the top of the seventh to break open a 1-1 tie.
Maybe it was because I was sitting closer to the Plainfield Central crowd, but at Wednesday's game, there was a feeling in the air that the Wildcats would get the better of the Redhawks once again. It felt that way right up until the ninth inning when Naperville Central's Maggie Buoy threw out a runner at home on a rocket throw from center field. That's when there was a noticeable shift and I think it was the point in the game that the Redhawks realized that their history with Plainfield Central didn't matter. That feeling of an inevitable victory for the Wildcats - that something once again would go wrong for the Redhawks - turned on its head. One full inning later, Naperville Central won the game.
What makes this such a good rivalry, aside from the tension, close games and excellent athleticism on display by both sides, is that Buoy and Wunderlich are just juniors as are many of the Redhawks who experienced Wednesday are young players. That should make things very interesting in years to come, especially now that god-awful "hump" has been cleared.
And now for something completely different. Here are a couple of guys clearing some humps of their own.
Leave a comment