With the bases loaded, Joliet Catholic’s Ella Nurczyk elevated her swing through grand ambition.
The freshman starting pitcher saw the one-strike bunt signal from coach Tina Kinsella, but when she dug into the batter’s box, what followed was a pretty big, for-the-fences swing.
“In that situation, I just had to stay confident and believe in myself,” Nurczyk said with a smile. “I was a little nervous, but I knew from the work that I’ve put in that I could do it.
“The ball was high, and I was just thinking line drive and bring in some runs.”
In this case, Nurczyk brought in all four runs, blasting a grand slam as the Angels rallied for an 8-5 East Suburban Catholic Conference win Wednesday over Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights.
Joliet Catholic (4-15, 1-5), which trailed 5-1 entering the inning, came through with four hits and pushed across seven runs in the top of the seventh to complete the comeback.
Freshman shortstop Evelyn Ayala went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the host Spartans (9-9, 3-3), while junior outfielder Mya Davis also had two hits and drove in a run.
Freshman infielder Lexi Rezzardi, who delivered a two-run double to keep that rally going in the seventh for JCA, was impressed by Nurczyk’s two-way effort.
“It wasn’t just the grand slam, but she also brought in on the mound,” Rezzardi said. “She works hard and is a really good teammate. She doesn’t get down on herself when she makes mistakes.
“She always comes back with the next at-bat.”
Senior shortstop Addy Rizzatto was intentionally walked to load the bases for Nurczyk.
“I knew she was going to execute,” Rizzatto said. “We didn’t even need me to hit in that situation. Even if she’s struggling, she always pushes through. She doesn’t let her failure affect the future.”
Joliet Catholic used two bunt singles and a fielder’s choice RBI off another bunt to ignite the rally.
Kinsella, meanwhile, laughed off the freshman looking off her bunt call with the Angels trailing 5-4.
“She’s got a lot of pop in her bat,” Kinsella said.
Nurczyk also struck out five in pitching a complete game, allowing four earned runs and eight hits. She threw a lot of pitches, 121, and faced 33 batters. She had good movement until the final out.
“My change-up was working well and I was able to get to my outside corner spot,” she said. “Some days I’m better with change-ups and other times I have more speed. I use that to my advantage.”
Nurczyk, who’s hitting .396 with 21 hits, two homers and 14 RBIs, plays third base when she’s not pitching. Despite her youth, she has a clear grasp of the game and situations.
The youngest of three sisters, she started playing travel at age 10 in Joliet. Her sister, Ava, was a standout in softball at Joliet West.
“I was probably about 11 or a little older when I realized I had talent, really liked it and wanted to pursue it,” she said. “I don’t like to lose and I love the competitiveness of the game.”
Nurczyk also is an outside hitter in volleyball. She played on the freshman team before being elevated to the varsity for the state playoffs.
Quiet by nature, she loves spending time with her friends and family. She isn’t afraid to demonstrate her personal style like the elaborate dual set of earrings she wears.
Now, Nurczyk wants to create a lasting memory that will offset the sting of lossing. Learning how to cope with adversity has been the most difficult part of her early high school development.
“I also think it’s helped me a lot as a person, just becoming stronger in my daily life,” she said. “I’ve already learned a lot about the game.”
Patrick Z, McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
