St. Edward’s Sarah Gurley oughta be in pictures.
The sophomore shortstop, in a manner of speaking, is in a league of her own.
She burst onto the scene last spring, hitting .521 and earning Chicagoland Christian Conference’s player of the year and Illinois Coaches Association third team all-state honors.
Impressive, especially when considering this.
“I’ve never played travel softball,” Gurley said.
Say what?
“Sarah is a baseball player,” Green Wave coach Jerry Kublank said. “She plays baseball in the summer and she likes to catch. She’s a good catcher, but I need her at shortstop.
“You’ve seen some plays she made, showing good instincts to get that force at third base.”
It came with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning Wednesday in St. Edward’s come-from-behind 16-9 conference win over visiting Aurora Christian at the Elgin Sports Complex.
Gliding over from the hole between short and third on a hard-hit ball that bounced away from sophomore Layne Dawson, Gurley scooped it up and beat a runner to the bag for a force out.
“She’s picked up skills that some other players don’t have,” said Kublank, who has coached baseball and softball for more than 50 years. “Last weekend in the Larkin Tournament, she turned a couple double plays.”
Gurley looked even better Wednesday at the plate, leading off the game with a triple to the wall in right field and then driving in three more runs with another triple in a 10-run sixth as the Green Wave (7-7, 4-1) rallied from an 8-6 deficit.
In between?
Gurley singled, was hit by a pitch and drew a walk while finishing with five runs scored.
The strong support helped sophomore Kendall Pemberton gut out a win in the circle. She was filling in for ace Alaina Nolan, who suffered a hand injury Monday that will likely to keep her out of action for up to a week.
That’s a relief to Kublank, who learned earlier in the day school officials accepted an Illinois High School Association offer to host a regional.
“It just meant we all had to step up a bit to try to fill the spot,” said Gurley, who usually bats third.
Freshman outfielder Mady Wagner and junior first baseman Grace Kendall had big days at the plate with three hits apiece for Aurora Christian (2-7, 0-4).
Wagner homered and Kendall doubled twice for the young Eagles, who have no seniors on the roster.
Gurley, meanwhile, has found a home with St. Edward.
“We’re glad she decided to play softball,” Kublank said. “Matter of fact, when she was a freshman, she was thinking of going out for baseball here.
“She was in our camp and I was thinking, ‘Please, no, you have a better future in college in softball.’”
Gurley, who is hitting .512 this year, had the lone hit off Newark ace Kodi Rizzo in a 4-0 loss in last season’s regional final. She struck out just twice last spring and has not struck out this season.
“I’ve been playing baseball since I was 5 and didn’t start playing softball until starting high school,” said Gurley, the middle of Glen and Jennifer’s three children.
Her oldest brother, Zach, is a senior. Her youngest brother, Nate, is in seventh grade.
“Baseball has always been a good all-around experience,” Sarah said. “The guys respected me, I respected them and we get along.
“Nate and I played on the same team that my dad coached for a while.”
She also has played two seasons of varsity basketball at St. Edward and continues to play summer rec league baseball.
“I’d like to play one of them in college if opportunities are there,” she said. “I’m still figuring it out.
“It’s always a transition going between baseball and softball, but I adjust. I’m liking softball more, but I think I still like baseball better.”
Kublank doesn’t mind.
“I don’t think summer baseball is hurting her,” he said. “It’s OK with me.”
