Plainfield South had an interesting advantage going into Saturday's 3-2 win over Naperville Central in the Bolingbrook Sectional championship - they didn't realize they were supposed to lose.
Let me clarify: They didn't realize they were supposed to lose if Central found themselves with an early two-run lead and pitcher Natalie Wunderlich was on the mound. In fact, outside of a good reputation, they didn't know much about Wunderlich or Naperville Central at all. The two teams did not meet this season after an early season game was cancelled due to weather.
"You know honestly, we didn't really know a lot and our coaches didn't really know a lot," Alexis Alvarez said. "I'm really glad because we didn't get psyched out at all."
And it's very easy to get psyched out against Wunderlich, a pitcher who had given up only nine earned runs going into Saturday's game. Alvarez and Gaby Liberatore each had RBI singles to rally the Cougars back from a 2-0 deficit in the fourth inning before Mary Giancarlo scored the go-ahead run on a double to center field.
Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not taking anything away from Plainfield South, which has been playing some quality ball and are my pick to emerge from the Benedictine Super Sectional on Monday, but the Cougars definitely benefited from their lack of knowledge about Wunderlich. As Alvarez pointed out, it allowed the team to avoid any mental stigma about being down and facing Central's star pitcher. A team can have all the talent in the world, but if they don't feel like they can win, they probably won't.
Which is not to say they were completely unfamiliar with Wunderlich. Liberatore remembered facing Central's junior while playing on the sophomore team.
"It was like a 14 inning game I think," she said. "It was pretty crazy. And she actually got better too."
South coach Tara Singler was surprised to learn that a two-run lead with Wunderlich on the mound is usually money in the bank for Central.
"Really?," she said. "We definitely could tell by the way she pitched the first couple innings, I was like, 'We gotta break this pitcher somehow.' I don't know what the trick was. I just told the girls to shorten up their swings and make contact. She throws good heat."
Every good pitcher relies on their mechanics, arsenal of pitches and confidence to win games. However, the really good ones also understand the mental aspect of the game and how intimidation can be an important X-factor on the mound. Wunderlich is one of those pitchers and on Saturday she didn't have that variable.
In the end, Plainfield South won because they rallied and did just what their coach told them to do by making contact with the ball. Central lost because they simply weren't as sharp all around as they have been nearly the entire season.
So, not being intimidated didn't win the game for Plainfield South and it didn't lose it for Wunderlich, but I think it helped the Cougars defy expectations and it took a little bite out of Wunderlich's arsenal. At the very least, it definitely changed the mood and shifted the momentum to South's favor.
Leave a comment