'Heart-to-Heart' Talk Boosts Bengals

Oak Forest's softball team had a rough start to the last week of regular-season play.

Last Tuesday, the Bengals traveled to Thornton Fractional South and lost only their second conference game of the year. What followed, however, turned their season around.

The team had what catcher Emily Naegele called a “heart-to-heart” and now Oak Forest is on fire.

“We’ve just been playing so unbelievably well right now,” Naegele said. “The whole team is into it. We had a heart-to-heart, and the whole team just wants it now, and I’m so excited for the post-season.”

Oak Forest coach Paige Stryczek said her team needed the loss to T.F. South.

“It gave my kids the kick in the rear end that they needed to go, ‘OK, wait a minute. We’re not doing everything right here,’ ” Stryczek said. “We were just kind of floating through a lot of games, just kind of showing up, not really putting the heart and having the determination and guts that is Bengal softball.”

Since Tuesday, the Bengals have defeated Lincoln-Way West, Lake Park, Bremen, and then .

Playing for a Good Cause

Saturday’s game between Oak Forest and Lincoln-Way East was Strikeout Breast Cancer Day. In addition to the game, raffle tickets were sold and there was a candy stand, provided by Popcorn Town & Candyland, among other ways to raise money. The money raised for breast cancer was sent to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Having two great teams play gets people to come out,” Lincoln-Way East coach Katie Meader said. “But then having this fun aspect as well, it just encourages people to come out and do something good that maybe they don’t get the chance to do every day.”

Stryczek offered a similar sentiment.

“The game in itself is fun, but bringing in an added breast-cancer theme to it, I think makes all the girls respect what they do a little bit more and gives them the opportunity to raise some money for a good cause,” she said.

Iron Sharpens Iron

With the postseason starting this week, both Oak Forest and Lincoln-Way East relished the opportunity to play each other, with the game serving as an opportunity to face a quality opponent one last time.

“We know that they’re going to be coached well,” Stryczek said. “They know we’re going to be coached well, it’s two good pitchers, two good defensive teams and two good hitting teams.”

Despite the loss, Meader said her team improved by taking on the Bengals.

“Even though we’re walking away with a loss, I think we’re walking away with some important information to go into next week with our practice and our games,” she said.