ROSCOE — Aislynn Palmer figures her future in softball won’t be in the pitcher’s circle.
When it comes to college ball, she expects her bat will eventually be her calling card.
For the time being, though, the sophomore showed again why it’s so important to the front-running Hononegah Indians that she also excels with her bat when she isn’t tormenting the opposition with fastballs.
The right-hander tossed a complete game at windy Swanson Park, regrouping after a rough fifth inning to finish strong in a 10-5 victory over Belvidere North.
She also ignited the offense, hammering a pair of home runs and driving in four runs.
“Yeah, the pitching is just a part-time thing,” she said with a grin.
Palmer mowed down the Blue Thunder the final two innings, striking out the side in the sixth and retiring them in order in the seventh.
“I thought I could have hit my spots a little better in the fifth (inning),” said Palmer, who allowed seven total hits. “I think the movement on my pitches wasn’t quite as good that inning, but it came back at the end.”
She also found a changeup on her way to nine strikeouts.
“I’ve been working really hard on that pitch,” she said. “I’ve never thrown that many in a game.”
“If she has that breaking ball working she’s going to be even tougher,” Hononegah head coach Denny McKinney said.
The wind was blowing out to center field, but McKinney said anyone who described Palmer’s blasts or the grand slam homer hit by sophomore Addyson Hulburt as wind-aided wasn’t paying attention.
“Those homers would have gone out any day,” McKinney said. “They were crushed.”
With the win, Hononegah improved to 12-1 overall, 6-0 in NIC-10 play and ran its current win-streak to 11.
“It was a good fight,” Palmer said of the game. “We’re happy where we’re at, but we know there are little things where we can continue to improve. That’s going to happen over the course of the season.”
Hononegah jumped in front with four runs off Belvidere North starter Ava Morris in the second inning on Hulburt’s bases-clearing blast to left center.
“I sprinted to first just in case,” said Hulburt, who bats No. 9 in the lineup, but always seems to deliver in the clutch.
“I like where I hit in the order,” she said. “I’m calmer at the bottom than if I was at the top. I’m just trying not to overswing.”
Palmer then connected for a solo homer to open the third inning.
Belvidere North broke into the scoring column on an RBI single by Josie Yakey in the fourth, but the Indians seemed to open it up when Zoey Calhoun belted a sacrifice fly and Palmer followed with a three-run blast to lead 9-1.
The Blue Thunder chipped away in the fifth, scoring four runs as they collected three of their seven hits. Hononegah answered in the bottom of the inning with a run, although a mix-up on a dropped infield-fly rule cost the Indians a double play and the chance to add more.
No matter. Palmer was back dealing the final two innings.
The Indians head to Rockford Auburn for a makeup game on Tuesday.
• LINESCORE:
HONONEGAH 10, BELV. NORTH 5
Belvidere North 000 100 0 — 5 7 3
Hononegah 041 410 x — 10 6 6
Leading hitters: BN, Morris 1x4, 1 run, 1 rbi; Culvey 1x2, 1 run, 1 rbi; Murphy 1x2, 2 rbi; Jo. Yakey 1x3, 1 rbi; Je. Yakey 1x3, 1 run; Johnson 1x3, 1 run. H, Kelly 1x3, 1 run; Palmer 2x4, 2 runs, 4 rbi; Kinney 1x3, 2 runs; O’Brien 1x3, 1 run; Hulburt 1x3, 2 runs, 4 rbi. HR: Palmer 2, Hulburt.
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): BN, Morris (L) 4.0-6-9-5-4-3; Sanchez 2.0-0-1-0-2-0. H, Palmer (W) 7.0-7-5-5-2-9.
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