Do you know me?
We do now, and congrats are in order for St. Charles North’s Carrigan Rich.
One of two senior right-handers sharing pitching duties this spring for the North Stars, Rich has emerged from relative obscurity to earn a well-earned blip on the area’s softball radar.
The intensity of its light continues to grow as Rich and Abby Zawadzki lead the way in the circle.
“I had a few innings, but Paige Murray was amazing last year,” Rich said of the team’s graduated ace. “She definitely left big shoes to fill, but I think Abby and I have been doing a great job.”
That continued Wednesday for Rich as the South Dakota commit went the distance, striking out four and scattering seven hits and four walks in a pressure-packed 3-1 DuKane Conference victory at crosstown rival St. Charles East.
Rich, who plays travel for the Wasco Diamonds, ended up helping her own cause for St. Charles North (18-1, 9-1) by stranding eight runners. Hannah Wulf took the loss for the Saints (22-7, 8-3).
Wulf, a South Carolina-bound senior, gave up no earned runs on anywhere from four to seven hits, depending who was keeping score. She struck out 12 but was hurt by at least four errors.
“We have to make those plays,” St. Charles East coach Jarod Gutesha said. “Our defense has been struggling.”
Junior third baseman Julianna Kouba bounced a two-run single through the right side of the infield in the top of the seventh to account for the winning margin for the North Stars.
Senior catcher Hayden Sujack, also a South Carolina recruit, staked the Saints to a 1-0 lead in the first inning by hitting her 14th home run of the season and program-record 56th of her career.
Sujack’s shot cleared the center field fence with one out. Junior left fielder Jordyn McBride tied it for the North Stars in the fourth when a pickoff throw bounced off her into left field.
“This was my first time pitching in this rivalry game at the varsity level,” Rich said. “It’s way different than JV. They’re a very good team, but I was prepared.
“I always try to stay positive, so even when things weren’t going my way in that first inning, I just tried to get ahead and think ‘next pitch.’ I’d probably throw something different to Hayden there, but it was just one pitch and I tried to do better the next time.”
She did by striking out Sujack on a 3-2 count in the third before St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin intentionally walked the slugger in her final two at-bats.
“Carrigan Rich has kind of flown under the radar over the years,” Poulin said. “I was really proud of her because this is a pressure-filled game. It had a sectional, supersectional type of feeling.
“We put (Rich) in that environment, wanting to see her against them just like we saw Abby (Zawadzki) against them in our first meeting.”
Zawadzki went the distance in mid-April as the North Stars prevailed 1-0 in eight innings.
“You never know what’s going to happen in the postseason, but we expect to probably have to run into them again,” Poulin said. “I think we have two pitchers that give us options if we get into a game like that again when your season is on the line.
“We have a couple different ways we could go.”
St. Charles North North and St. Charles East are seeded Nos. 1-2, respectively, in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional.
Rich, who had a 3-2 record and worked 32 innings last season, is 10-1 this spring and has pitched 57 1/3 innings. Zawadzki (8-0) has pitched 59 innings.
“I’m proud of Carrigan because she showed toughness after the home run and locked back in,” Poulin said. “She stays down in the zone, moves the ball around. I tell her she has the best defense in the state behind her, so pitch with confidence.”
