Almost a year ago, Shepard defeated Richards 1-0 in a pitchers’ duel between the Astros’ Kailey Selvage and the Bulldogs’ Emily Chavosky.
The lone run was scored on a RBI hit from Brooklyn Sedlak that afternoon.
Fast-forward to this spring, and the same two pitchers were on the mound on April 15. But it was Brooklyn’s younger sister, Londynn, who scored two runs in a 2-1 Shepard win.
“I was locked in,” Sedlak said. “We really wanted to win this conference game.”
Astros coach Bridget McDermott was not surprised to see Sedlak be the one to help get the Astros a victory.
“We all know that she can get it done when she’s out there,” McDermott said.
Sedlak had two hits in the win, including a double, and two runs. She scored her second run of the game on a two-out single by Selvage.
Selvage had yet another dominant performance on the mound for the Astros, who ended the week 12-2 overall and 5-0 in the South Suburban Red. She pitched all seven innings for the Astros while allowing two hits and one run with 10 strikeouts.
Sedlak has played a utility role on the field. But whatever situation she’s in, she is going to help set the tone even if it’s just taking swings off a tee at practice.
“She’s very reliable, very coachable and she’s a leader,” McDermott said. “There’s never a rep wasted, ever. She takes every single rep very seriously.”
Selvage said having a junior take on a leadership role helps to maintain a strong program.
“She always does everything at 110 percent and that’s really important to us,” Selvage said. “We know once our seniors are gone, she’s gonna carry that with her next year and she’s gonna be huge next year.”
Chavosky back in the circle
Chavosky has settled back into the Richards rotation quite nicely after missing two weeks with an illness.
“She’s feeling better health-wise,” Richards coach Julie Folliard said. “It helps her confidence and just makes her feel stronger. She is making great progress.”
Chavosky pitched 6 2/3 innings with five hits allowed and two earned runs while striking out six against Shepard. One of those strikeouts was the 400th of her career.
“Defensively, we are starting to get a little more confident. We had some nice plays today,” Folliard said. “We want to play consistently solid defense.”
Offensively the Bulldogs (6-7, 3-2 SSC Red) did not get much going until the fourth inning when the first three batters reached base. Senior center fielder Natalie Hajer had the only two hits for Richards and the lone run, which tied the game.
Chavosky has shown why she was selected to All-State honors last season as a sophomore.
The junior had a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts against rival Oak Lawn on April 11. She then bounced back from the Shepard loss with 7 2/3 innings and 12 strikeouts in a 2-1 win against Oak Forest on April 17.
Chavosky hopes to play at the next level, and appreciates the chance to pitch against Selvage.
“She’s great and the pressure’s definitely on when you have two very strong pitchers,” Chavosky said. “And I think overall the game was really fun to watch.”