Wacky, then wonderful.
That paints the picture of what was probably the craziest inning of Oak Forest sophomore Hailey Wesner’s softball career.
Wesner was pitching Thursday against Tinley Park in the top of the sixth when she crashed to the ground after delivering a pitch.
“I don’t know … something was wrong with the field,” Wesner said, laughing. “I slipped and fell on my knee. Oh, it was so embarrassing.”
In the bottom of the sixth, Wesner was batting with the bases loaded when she swung at a pitch that bounced two feet in front of the plate.
That brought more of a wince than a laugh.
“Yep, ball in the dirt,” Wesner said. “I was so anxious up there. I really just wanted to put the ball in play and get runners in.”
On the next pitch, she got them all in — including herself.
Wesner’s line-drive grand slam over the fence in left field was the biggest moment in an eight-run outburst.
Oak Forest, leading by just one run at the time, wound up winning 13-5 in a Class 3A regional championship game.
Wesner went the distance, earning her ninth pitching win of the season for Oak Forest (19-4). Azya Walker and Nicole Chamberlin added three hits each, while Alyssa Thomas hit her eighth home run.
Ella Oakley was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Tinley Park (10-10).
Wesner’s home run was her third of the season. She came into the day hitting .550 with 24 RBIs.
Her drive left the field in a hurry. It wasn’t the first she has hit in that fashion, according to Oak Forest coach Nick Fuentes.
“Oh, that was a rope, man,” Fuentes said. “But she hit one against Oak Lawn … I’ve never seen a line-drive missile in this park get out so quick. And she hit it off the middle flagpole and ricocheted out.”
There have been ups and downs, but Wesner is finding her way as a varsity pitcher. Last spring, she was working out with the freshman team when the season was canceled by the Illinois High School Association.
This spring she got the surprising news — surprising to her, at least — that she was going to be a varsity starter.
“I didn’t even think I was going to be on the varsity level,” Wesner said. “When I not only made the varsity but got a chance to start a lot of games, it was really exciting.
“It put a lot of confidence in me as a player, just to come out here and be able to pitch for this team. I think it made me a better player.”
Wesner went into Thursday with 75 strikeouts in 59 innings. She only added two to her total, and Tinley Park reached her for 10 hits. But she also stranded 10.
The Bengals were trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Chamberlin hit a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run bloop double down the right field line.
Placement over power won this battle.
“I just knew I had to get on,” Chamberlin said. “I had to move my runners around and protect. As a No. 2 hitter, I always want to put it in play so I can get my other teammates up who are more power hitters.”
Thomas, one of the power hitters, hit a towering home run in the second inning. Chamberlin was a base runner in the sixth when Wesner hit the decisive grand slam.
“I watched it,” Chamberlin said. “When I saw it go over the fence, I just jumped for joy.”
