Dupo’s Stansch hands New Athens its first loss of season

Jessica Stansch doesn’t throw with the velocity of the region’s other top high school pitchers, but the Dupo senior’s mastery of the strike zone flustered New Athens hitters Tuesday.

With error-free defense behind her, Stansch gave up just four hits and the Tigers defeated the previously unbeaten Yellow Jackets, 5-2.

“I’m short and I’m stocky, so I’ll never be a fast pitcher,” said Stansch, who has a 1.80 ERA through 35 innings pitched. “My curve ball is slower than my other pitches, so I use that and my changeup and just try to hit my spots the best I can.”

It didn’t look like Stansch was fooling anyone when New Athens’ slugger Abby Marlow launched a two-run homer in the first inning. But Staunch faced just three more than the minimum the rest of the way — including two intentional walks to Marlow — while striking out seven.

New Athens entered the game averaging more than 11 runs per game, but struggled to catch up to Stansch, who picked at the limits of the strikezone.

“She’s got good movement and she knows where to hit her spots. She is very aware of her strengths and her limitations,” said New Athens coach Conrad Widdersheim. “Our batters, I guess, don’t know their limitations. On a day that the wind is blowing out to right field and you have a pitcher that’s picking the outside corner, you’ve lot to let the ball get deep and hit it the other way. Our girls just were not making that adjustment.”

Marlow, a hard thrower who ranks among area leaders with seven wins and a 0.67 ERA, struggled with control throughout the game. She struck out seven, but walked 11, which is one more than she allowed in all of her previous starts combined.

Three of those base runners scored.

“We didn’t have Abby’s best game. It wasn’t awful on her part, but not the A-game,” said Widdersheim.

Key Moments

Dupo tied the game in the bottom of the second when Stormy Sellers, Savannah Maldonado, and lead-off batter Alyssa Strubbert walked with one out. Junior Megan Brown, a Southern Illinois University at Carbondale recruit and last season’s BND small school Player of the Year, roped an opposite-field single to score two.

Dupo broke the tie in the fifth when Taylor Esmon singled and advanced to third on a wild pitch and ground out. She scored on an errant throw home off a ground ball by Cameron Foster.

Rachael Donald blew the game open in the Tigers’ sixth, with a two-out, bases-loaded double off the fence in left center field.

“I was not upset at all when they walked Megan to load the bases because I knew Rachael was going to come through,” said Dupo coach Greg Pennock. “She’s a tough kid and in that situation, you come to expect that from her.”

Key Performers

Skylure Barlow had a single and scored a run for Dupo. Maldonado was the only player in the game to score twice, both times after drawing walks.

Alina Lance had two hits in the game and was on base for Marlow’s home run. Jordan Drake had the other hit for New Athens.

What’s Next

New Athens (8-1) is back at home against Steeleville Thursday at 4:30 pm. Dupo (5-1) plays host to Chester at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 10:12 PM with the headline "Dupo’s Stansch hands New Athens its first loss of season."