By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn Anne Gledhill
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Softball is made up of many parts, sometimes encompassing both art and science.
The game is all in the timing and rhythm. The ball whistles off the bat, and the player must constant adjust to the speed and velocity and make the play.
Angelina Guillen has an elite perspective playing in centerfield. She sees everything, from all sides.
“Our whole attitude and style is to keep up our energy, and be ready for anything that happens out there,” she said.
The two-way standout made all the big plays.
Guillen knocked home the game-winning run and preserved the Rockers’ victory over ther Libertyville Wildcats with her spectacular fielding.
Guillen made a game-saving over the shoulder catch that prevented an inside the park home run for the 4-2 comeback victory in 16U pool play of the Seminal Sports Summer Sizzler at Olympic Park on Saturday, June 24.
“That was the best play I’ve seen all day,” the umpire marveled after Guillen’s dazzling catch.
A player at Leyden, Guillen keyed the Rockers’ comeback from an early 2-0 deficit. Her groundout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning drove home the winning run.
“I like hitting better,” she said. “I knew we had the bases loaded there, and I just wanted to put the ball in play and get the ball on the ground.”
The three-day tournament featured some of the best players and teams in the western and northern suburbs.
The Roselle Rockers features players from Lake Park, Elmwood Park, Conant and Leyden.
Fundamentally the game is the game, and players adapt to their circumstances to optimize the experience.
“With high school, the game is more about the teams in your district, and this is a chance to see a lot of different teams and styles of play,” Guillen said
The Rockers attacked Libertyville with classic “small ball,” actions, using walks, steals and two suicide squeezes, the second by Emma Nunes, to get back into the game.
With the Rockers up 3-2, Alexandra Garcia pushed across the crucial instance run with another groundout RBI.
“Personally I loved being in that situation there,” Garcia said. “I am very confident with the bat, and I am fast, so I knew I could get down the line. Having that second run just helped the team a lot.”
Under the tournament format, the games were played under a 75-minute time limit. Going down at the start of the game intensified the pressure for the Rockers.
“It just motivated us to do better,” Guillen said.
Dealing with pressure just comes with the territory, according to Samantha Donofrio.
“This team is very close, and we know even in those games where we get down, we always have the chance to come back,” she said.
Starting pitcher Raquel Kurinsky settled into a sharp rhythm after the early Wildcats’ attack. She allowed just one hit over the final three innings.
Guillen made another superb fielding play by racing into shallow center and making a stab off a hard liner.
Kurinsky ended the game with two strike outs in the fifth inning.
“I would, style wise, I’m a bit of a combination, both a power pitcher, but also somebody with off-speed and good control,” Kurinsky said.
“Their hitters weren’t really bunting, and they had a lot of power hitters. I was adjusting to what they were doing, getting used to their speed, so I could get my feet set and focusing on what they were trying to do.”
Lake Park, the school where many of the Rockers attend, is a perennial power in one of the best conferences, the deep and highly skilled DuKane.
The Lancers finished 26-12-1.
For players like Kurinsky, the summer season is the time for growth and development.
“I think the difference between high school and travel depends on each team,” she said. “I’d say my high school is pretty similar in the talent and competition level.
“During the summer, the game is definitely a little faster, and you have different types of play that you are facing. The hitters are more skilled, so you have to do things out there, with the rise ball or the change up.”
The Rockers have a 14-player roaster, and 13 made up the batting order. The team draws strength from the interlocking parts.
“Even though we got down at the start of the game today, you could feel the confidence we all had,” Nunes said. “We all like winning, we’re used to it, and I just felt like we always have the confidence to just come back with our effort.”
Josie Guzaldo, another Lake Park player, said the dynamic is one of inclusion and solidarity. Between the lines in the high school season, competitors become close confidants during the summer season.
“I like to definitely work with my teammates,” Guzaldo said. “That is definitely something that is really big with our team. We focus on working together, and keeping up our energy. It comes down to every player. I try to generate a lot of energy for my team so that we have more momentum because that’s when we are at our best, and how we win games.”
The high school and travel seasons are jammed together.
Aubrey Serrano said the mood and atmosphere is just more colloquial and looser. Everything just flows.
“High school is really hard core, and the coaches want to win all the time,” she said. “The pitching in high school is way different. It’s much slower. You get here, and you have to adjust. The summer is a great time to work on your game, and get better. You saw that today.”