Sue Stulgo started last season at shortstop, but the Morton West junior will probably end this year on the mound.
Stulgo raised her record to 10-1 Thursday as Morton West (14-1, 8-1), The Tribune`s No. 5-ranked softball team, stayed in the hunt for the Des Plaines Valley League title with an 8-2 victory over visiting Downers Grove South
(11-6, 4-5). Downers South is ranked No. 10.
Stulgo had five strikeouts and retired 11 straight batters from the second to the sixth inning.
”I`m not really a pitcher,” said Stulgo, who played shortstop most of last season. ”I like pitching. I`ve got to work on my different pitches, like the curve. The coach (Jim Kulawiak) watched me one day last year. He told me to stay with it. I`m under control more this year.”
”She`s a good athlete . . . I think that`s the key,” said Kulawiak, whose team plays host to league-leading Riverside-Brookfield (14-1, 9-0) next Thursday. ”Sue is one of the top two or three shortstops in the area in my opinion. You have to do what helps the team.”
Morton West took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Kelli Gaisford`s two-run triple was the key hit.
Downers South made it 3-1 in the second, but Morton West pulled away with four runs in the fourth. Sophomore left-fielder Dawn Viti and shortstop Carol Winter drove in two runs each with singles.
Stulgo yielded a run in the seventh before getting the last two batters on fly outs. ”I think she`s throwing well,” Kulawiak said. ”But she`s got to take a longer warm-up. She goes out in the first inning and she`s not quite ready.”
