Most area coaches would gladly deal with Jarod Gutesha’s conundrum.
Who should the St. Charles East coach pencil in at catcher in his lineup?
His team is loaded with junior Samantha Gaca and standout freshman Hayden Sujack. Senior Stephanie Schnite also has catching experience.
Fortunately, they’re all versatile.
“For both, it’s their primary position,” Gutesha said of Gaca and Sujack.
He had Gaca behind the plate, Sujack in right field and Schnite in left Thursday for the host Saints’ 2-1 win over crosstown rival St. Charles North. It evened the season series at 1-1 and tightened up the DuKane Conference race.
“It’s one of those things,” Gutesha said. “In filling in all nine spots, we feel like that’s our best defensive lineup.”
Sujack has feasted on opposing pitchers, hitting .422 with a team-high 12 home runs in her varsity debut for St. Charles East (15-9, 9-3). Gaca, a two-time honorable mention all-conference selection, is hitting .376 with a pair of homers.
Both were instrumental in starting the offense against reigning Class 4A state champion St. Charles North (17-3, 10-2). The North Stars are leading the conference with two games remaining.
Sujack doubled off the base of the fence in right-center and was promptly brought home by Gaca’s single up the middle to stake winning pitcher Grace Hautzinger, who scattered five hits, to an early lead.
“I love Hayden,” Gaca said. “She hits the crap out of the ball and does really well. I thought it was going to go out. All you can ask for is runners.
“It’s definitely good to have her. Her numbers are nuts.”
Sujack also leads the team with 38 RBIs.
“I knew it wasn’t going out — I caught it off the end of the barrel,” Sujack said of her double. “But I was excited to get us started. I didn’t do so well (0-for-3) the first time we played them. I felt like Sam was going to get me in.
“I really wanted to beat them. A lot of my friends are on that team, so I get to brag. That’s the fun part, obviously. The game came down to two runs last time, too.”
The first game ended with a St. Charles East hitter called out after being ruled out of the batter’s box on a drive that would have tied the game in the seventh.
This time, the North Stars were threatening in the sixth with two runners on and one run in when one of their hitters was called out for catcher’s interference for stepping out of the box on a squeeze bunt that helped Hautzinger escape trouble.
Hautzinger struck out seven and walked one to win the duel with St. Charles North’s duo of Ava Goettel and Paige Murray, who had teamed up to prevail in the first meeting.
Hautzinger is happy to have both Gaca and Sujack on her side.
“Sam has been my catcher since freshman year,” Hautzinger said. “And Hayden I’ve known since before the season. I drive her everywhere. She’s my little freshman.
“Having her in the two hole in the lineup is the perfect spot for her because she gets constant contact. Having her anywhere on the field or designated player, it’s huge. We just need her in there.”
Sujack has caught several games, usually those thrown by freshmen Makayla Van Dinther and Lexi Majkszak.
“Sam does a phenomenal job,” Sujack said of Gaca. “So I’d rather her do her job and me do my job somewhere else.”
Sujack said facing varsity pitching has been an adjustment.
“It’s faster, but I’ve gone up against faster pitching before in the fall,” she said. “It’s definitely not the same here, though, because of the spin that the older pitchers have.
“When I try to do too much, it’s harder. When I try to do me, it’s easier.”
Obviously, she’s doing just fine.
