Catch her if you can.
That task is easier said than done when it comes to junior speedster Leigh VandeHei, who bats leadoff and patrols center field for St Charles North.
The right-handed VandeHei is a left-handed slap hitter extraordinaire.
The Butler commit is hitting .556 (45-for-81) this season with a .609 on-base percentage for the North Stars, who enter next week’s Class 4A St. Charles East Regional as the second seed.
“I turned around when I was playing 10-U,” VandeHei said. “I was a switch hitter pretty much before that, but by 12-U, I had started full slapping.”
Her dad, Jim, got Leigh started on slapping after attending several college clinics.
“He and I worked on it for years pretty much,” Leigh said.
She continued to finetune it by working with former Loyola standout Brie Pasquale, who is an assistant coach at Wheaton St. Francis, and with the Silver Hawks travel program.
When done right by a player with good speed, slapping can be a game-changer.
“You have to be perfect,” St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said of the challenge in stopping a elite slapper.
Poulin has been fortunate to have several play for him before VandeHei.
“You can’t take an extra step — you can’t juggle the ball a bit,” Poulin said.
And once VandeHei reaches first base safely, look out. She has 19 steals this season en route to scoring 44 runs in 22 games.
“If she’s on second base, we may send her (home) on a grounder to the right side if the second baseman throws to first,” Poulin said.
“What they do is put pressure on everybody — pitcher, catcher, defense. I love ’em. I’d take nine of them, slappers with speed.”
Poulin also confirmed that VandeHei is outstanding.
“She was all-state as a sophomore last year, but in her mind, she’s never good enough,” Poulin said. “She’s never satisfied and always thinking, ‘I need to get batter at this or this.’
“If she gets on, she’s on second because no one is throwing her out. She’s so fast. Defensively, she goes and gets pretty much everything. She’s got all the bases covered. A good student, too.”
And if a team does get VandeHei out, they get to do it all over with Ashlee Chantos coming up in the second spot.
Chantos, a senior outfielder and Winona State recruit, is hitting .466 with two home runs and 27 RBIs despite missing the last couple games after crashing into a fence trying to make a play.
“She could have played but we’re just playing it safe,” Poulin said. “Ashlee can be a leadoff hitter. She can hit for power, she’s one of our best bunters, and she can slap or stand in there and hit.”
Back on track: Oswego East’s offense came alive Monday, pounding out 14 hits to support pitcher Kenzie Gatz in a 12-0 victory over crosstown rival Oswego.
It avenged a 9-8 Southwest Prairie Conference loss to the Panthers earlier in the season.
The wind was blowing in for Gatz (5-4), but Mia Corres led the attack with three straight singles. The Wolves (16-12, 9-6) had an eight-run third inning off freshman pitcher Aubriella Garza.
“You just have to acknowledge that it happened and move on,” Oswego coach Sara Pawlowski said. “You can’t sulk on it. Otherwise, it will eat you alive.
“Aubriella has pitched a ton and done well for us. She’s also been one of our leading hitters.”
Last week, Garza set the school record for doubles in a season with her 16th for the Panthers (17-10, 7-7).
Gatz, a junior, is one of three pitchers used by Oswego East coach Sarah Davies.
“She’s been doing very well recently,” Davies said, “and is looking like she’s moved into our No. 1 spot.”
Lights out: Izzy Howe and Grace Hautzinger have combined to throw 13 shutouts for St. Charles East (23-4). The Saints have allowed only one run in seven wins and just two runs in three others.
