Before heading to the softball field Friday for Oak Forest, junior second baseman Kamryn Castillo cooked up some macaroni and cheese and shrimp for her younger sister, Paityn.
Paityn, a freshman, finished up playing volleyball for the Bengals in October before being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which caused paralysis. She couldn’t breathe on her own and spent 98 days in the hospital.
Two weeks ago, Paityn returned home. Kamryn has been doing as much as she for her sister.
“I pick her up and drive her around and get her food ready,” Kamryn said. “I make sure she can get up the stairs. I’m trying to do things for her while she is learning to walk again.”
After helping out Paityn, Castillo continued her good deeds, giving the Bengals a boost with three hits and two RBIs and scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 3-2 nonconference victory over visiting Homewood-Flossmoor.
Sophomore third baseman Hailee Morin singled home Castillo with the winning run for Oak Forest (3-1). Melanie Andrysiak added three hits and struck out 11 in earning the pitching win.
Skylar Skinner hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the sixth for H-F (3-2). Ana Weber had two hits.
It was a good game for Castillo, who’s had more than softball on her mind the past five months.
“There is not a kid I can be happier for than Kam,” Oak Forest coach Nick Fuentes said. “She’s dealing with a lot of stuff. She’s had a lot on her plate.
“For her to be able to step up and have a big game like this is great. You can’t help but root for someone like that.”
The Bengals are wearing a sticker this season on their helmets with a butterfly featuring Paityn’s initials. Kamryn said Paityn is making significant progress.
“She’s gone from a wheelchair to a walker to now a one-armed crutch,” Kamryn said. “She has been to our games and that’s nice to see. It’s been a long journey.”
On the field, the Bengals have had a wild journey so far. They beat Mother McAuley 9-0 and Bloom 11-0 before suffering a 16-0 loss Thursday to Providence.
Less than 24 hours later, Oak Forest was back on the winning track.
“Our hitting approach against Providence was not good at all,” Castillo said. “I think we only had one hit. But in this game, we were trying for a lot of small hits and not really tying to kill the ball.”
She broke that rule in the third when she clobbered the ball to left field for a two-run double.
But no one was complaining.
“What I love about Kamryn is she always makes contact,” Morin said. “She always makes sure to hustle.”
That was evident on the winning run as Morin slammed the ball to left field and Castillo raced home, beating the throw to the plate.
“I said, ‘I know I’m going to score,’” Castillo said. “I got the hit. I’m getting home and scoring.”
Morin, who played on the varsity as a freshman, enjoyed the first walk-off hit of her high school career and the celebration that followed.
“It felt really good because I went 0-for-3 but I knew in that moment I had to do my job,” Morin said. “I wasn’t looking for a pitch. I just hit the pitch I was given.”
Castillo, who is getting noticed by colleges, hopes the nail-biter will get the Bengals going.
“My biggest focus is to go to a school I love,” Castillo said. “And if I get to play softball there, that’s a goal, too. But ultimately, the school is going to be (the priority) over playing.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
