Amelia Lohrey understands the Aurora Central Catholic storyline for this season.
Start with baby steps that add up and slowly become strides of progress despite the occasional missteps that still crop up.
With a roster featuring no seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores and five freshmen, what else could it be?
“Honestly, I think this season is a lot better than anyone expected because we are so young,” said Lohrey, a junior right fielder. “I’m the only one on the team who has played 18U (travel) ball, and that’s what varsity softball is. It’s 18U.
“We have these freshmen and sophomores coming out here and they are filled with talent. We’ve really started to come together.”
Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to see unless you look big picture.
Lohrey was reflecting on Thursday’s game with visiting Bishop McNamara that resulted in a 9-3 Metro Suburban Conference loss for the Chargers. They played without coach Mark Pasqualini, who was attending his daughter May’s senior day game at Oswego East.
Lohrey, who is hitting .404 this spring, had two singles, was hit by a pitch for the fourth time this season and produced her team-best 20th RBI for ACC (12-8, 7-5).
“I wanted this game,” Lohrey said. “We’ve never been able to beat that team in conference in my time and I wanted to beat them. It was a little bumpy. I don’t think the score reflects how the game truly went.”
Bishop McNamara (14-10, 7-2) had a much easier time of it when the teams had played three weeks earlier, winning 10-0 in five innings.
Step by step.
In between the games with the Fighting Irish, ACC went 9-1 in 10 games and scored 10 or more runs in each except in the loss, an 8-6 setback to conference leader IC Catholic.
“I think that 10-0 game motivated us,” Lohrey said. “Everything was just stacked against us that day. The bus was late. It seemed like we had just five minutes to warm up. It wasn’t a good game, but I think that brought us together and we went on a good run from there.
“Today, we just didn’t play our best.”
Sophomore Kate Gambro (3-2) was the starting pitcher both times against the Irish and trailed 7-3 after five innings the second time, hurt by four errors behind her.
Assistant coaches Jason Lohrey, Amelia’s dad, and Kailee Seppelfrick directed the team in Pasqualini’s absence.
“They hit us pretty good the first time,” Jason Lohrey said. “It’s an improvement. This is the only conference team Mark and I haven’t beaten since we’ve been coaching together. We’d like to get that monkey off our back.
“We’re young, but the energy wasn’t there today.”
Gambro led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles to lift her average to .439. She’s scored a team-high 28 runs and has 11 extra base hits with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs.
“We’re really young and we need to learn how to play against tougher competition,” Gambro said. “We’re still adjusting to that aspect.
“I really tried keeping the ball away from their hitters, not pitching them inside too much this time.”
Sophomore catcher Sophia Delgado, Gambro’s batterymate, had just one hit but still leads the team with 27 overall and a .491 average.
“I feel like that stretch of games since the last time we played this team helped us grow and gain a lot of confidence,” Delgado said.
“Kate helps me a lot. I’m not really a catcher. I play shortstop in travel. She helps me with things, as a pitcher, she likes her catcher to do. And hitting-wise, I just have a lot more confidence this year than last year, when I was nervous every game.”
Sophomore lefty Charlotte Brummel, who relieved Gambro after five innings, leads the team with three home runs. Amelia Lohrey also has two, both coming in a win over Montini.
“I think our freshmen were nervous coming into the season,” Amelia Lohrey said. “But I think they’re starting to realize it’s just a game. Same game they’ve always played, just a little bit faster, and they realize they can do it.”
