Evergreen Park freshman Shelby Izzo can have a field day when she talks about her first varsity walk-off run.
There she was, ready like a track runner in the block at third base. Then came the infield chopper. The clean play by the shortstop. The helter-skelter run down the line. The throw home.
OK, the ball did get away from the catcher. But Izzo’s slide was still impressive.
“It was exciting,” Izzo said afterward with a big smile. “It made me feel good to get a big hit. And then to score the winning run like that was really good.”
Izzo was involved in several key moments Tuesday afternoon for the host Mustangs during a 5-4 South Suburban Red victory over Argo.
Layne Schillo had a pair of hits for Evergreen Park (15-4, 8-1). Annie Olson doubled and added a sacrifice fly, while Hannah Pikus picked up an RBI triple.
Peyton Lupo led Argo (8-8, 3-6) with three hits. Hailey Pacheco had two hits and struck out nine.
Izzo, meanwhile, drove in two runs with a groundout and a sacrifice fly. She also came on in relief to earn the pitching win for the Mustangs, who trailed 5-4 when Grace Fontaine led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk.
When Izzo came to the plate, Evergreen Park coach Michelle Vucsko had to make a choice.
“Honestly, we were in a situation where we were hopefully not playing for the tie,” Vucsko said. “But when we got the leadoff runner on, she was probably the only person in our lineup that I wouldn’t have given the bunt sign to. It paid off.”
Izzo responded with a booming double off the left field fence. Olson followed with a sacrifice fly before Addison Mrskos brought Izzo home.
For the season, Izzo is among the team leaders in hitting .426 with 21 runs and 22 RBIs. As a pitcher, she has a 5-1 record with 45 strikeouts in 29 innings.
As a teammate? Sophomore outfielder Molly Goyke can speak about that.
“She brings a good vibe to everyone,” Goyke said. “We can always count on her to be there for us.”
Even as a freshman on the varsity, Izzo is feeling right at home.
“When I was younger I actually played with basically all of them,” Izzo said. “I had been going to a lot of their camps and really was ‘into’ the softball program here.
“I was hoping, and I’m happy that I’m able to fill in the role coming in as a freshman and do what I can do.”
The interesting question — what she can’t do? Vucsko’s answer is … there isn’t much.
“The biggest thing that stands out about Shelby is her versatility,” Vucsko said. “She can play multiple infield spots, she can pitch and she’s super-strong offensively.
“I coached her in grammar school as well, so like a lot of these kids, we had her on our radar. And she has stood out to us with her versatility for a long time.”
Her grit was the showcase trait against Argo. From the fourth through seventh innings, the Argonauts did score twice. But Izzo hung tough to strand six runners.
“As a pitcher, I don’t want to get down because then that brings and whole field down,” she said. “No matter what happens, I just try to keep my mood up.”
Even when she’s face up. That happened one day during a middle school game.
“It was raining and I went into my windup and just slipped,” Izzo said.
Goyke finished the story.
“I was in center field,” Goyke said, laughing. “You were like, straight up in the air.”
The next pitch had to be a strike.
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
