Have a day. Have a season.
Junior shortstop Bella Marzullo has been a steady contributor her previous two years on the varsity for West Aurora, but she has stepped it up a couple notches this spring.
She’s flirting with a .600 batting average as the season nears its midpoint.
“There definitely has been a difference,” said Marzullo, who hit .260 as a freshman and .253 as a sophomore. “Last year, I struggled a bit. I guess I wasn’t as confident in myself, and this year, I guess I’m just doing it now.
“I think the biggest part has been the work I’m doing on my own. I feel like last year I didn’t work as much on my own, but it’s the biggest difference. I’m being more consistent and hitting on my own, even outside of my personal lessons.”
It certainly shows.
Marzullo tallied three doubles and drove in six runs Tuesday, leading West Aurora to an 8-2 Upstate Eight Conference win over visiting Larkin. She lifted her batting average to .581.
Junior right-hander Ally Lambert, who was also on the varsity as a freshman, was the beneficiary for the Blackhawks (7-9, 5-1). She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before giving up a ground single through the left side of the infield by Larkin senior shortstop Yesi Escobar.
Lambert finished with a two-hitter, striking out eight, walking three and hitting one batter.
“Just getting out front in the count is key for Ally,” West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett said of Lambert, who missed the second half of last season with an injury. “She’s got a great curveball she can throw out and high.
“When she’s ahead and spots it or her fastball, she has strikeout potential.”
The Blackhawks kept pace in the conference standings with Riverside-Brookfield and Glenbard East, with all three teams trailing league leader South Elgin by one game.
Sophomore first baseman Jiselle Aguinaga hit a two-out, two-run homer that hugged the left field line in the top of the seventh to account for the scoring by Larkin (8-9, 3-3).
“My curve was really working and all my spins were pretty good,” said Lambert, who also throws a screwball. “As a team, we did really well. The defense and offense working as a team helped.
“We didn’t have any errors, which is pretty nice.”
Junior center fielder Gracie Del Toro made a diving catch of a sinking liner to preserve the no-hitter in the fourth. After Escobar singled, junior catcher Macie Spenny threw her out trying to steal.
Del Toro and Spenny, who also came up to the varsity as freshmen, are co-captains along with Marzullo. Del Toroo and Spenny bat in front of Marzullo at the top of the order.
The trio are also teammates in travel with the Wasco Diamonds.
“We play together year-round,” Marzulla said. “I think we work together well as the three at the top of the lineup. And we’ll all be back next year, too.”
Del Toro chipped in with two hits Tuesday and Spenny added one. Junior second baseman Bella Doyle and sophomore left fielder McKenzie Nelson-Wilmes came through with RBI singles.
Marzullo, who plays mostly third base in travel, explained her hitting work.
“I’ll go to the cages by myself and do it off a machine,” she said. “Even if I can’t make it to the cages, thankfully I have a bow net and tee in the basement and hit off the tee.
“Even if I can’t get out, I can work on the small stuff and take care of the little things.”
Hayslett has pushed Marzullo to be aware of pitches on the outside corner.
“She knows she can hit it,” he said. “Freshman year, she was driving the ball to right-center and she has gap-to-gap power. Last year, she had a slight regression, but she’s back.”
