She was trying to be aggressive. And when you try to be aggressive, things can occasionally go off the rails.
So it was Tuesday for Lincoln-Way Central senior Kayla Doerre. When she tried to take an extra base on a double to the left field fence at Lincoln-Way East, she got caught up in a rundown.
Things didn’t just go off the rails, they got physical.
“I got hit in the face,” Doerre said. “Me and the girl ran into each other, and I knocked the ball out of her glove.”
With her face, to be exact. It had to hurt. But then, Doerre is used to getting pushed, shoved — and hit. She plays hockey.
“Uh-huh,” Doerre said, smiling. “Most definitely. Hockey can get pretty rough.”
Doerre’s hit, however, helped put the game as the Knights beat the host Griffins 6-0 in a SouthWest Suburban Conference showdown in Frankfort.
Florida State recruit Lisabella Dimitrijevic was a two-way dominator with 18 strikeouts and a home run for Lincoln-Way Central (17-1, 7-0). Doerre and Mia Degliomini each had two hits, while Ellie McLaughlin reached all four times and scored twice.
Mackenzie Bacha came through with a pair of doubles for Lincoln-Way East (17-2, 6-2).
Dimitrijevic, a senior right-hander, is just seven strikeouts away from 1,000 for her career.
“It means a lot to me,” Dimitrijevic said. “I have put in so much work off the field pitching-wise.”
Doerre, meanwhile, is coming off of a fine winter season on the ice for her Chicago Mission travel team. A left wing who will play hockey at Oswego State in New York, she scored 15 goals.
But her skills go beyond putting the puck in the net.
“I’m not that much of a goal-scorer, but that’s all right,” Doerre said. “I’m more of a playmaker who gets assists.”
The rough stuff? The cage she wears protects her face, but Doerre has seen her share of scars.
“Sometimes, I’ve gotten a stick to the neck a little bit,” she said. “And there have been some board battles, fighting people.”
Doerre dropped summer softball to concentrate on hockey after her freshman year at Lincoln-Way Central. But she was determined to stick with softball in high school.
Knights coach Jeff Tarala was more than willing to help her do so.
“I have a lot of love for Kayla Doerre,” Tarala said, smiling. “I’ve told the story before about how she came up as a freshman and hit a triple down the line off of Lyndsey Grein at practice. I watched that and said, ‘Oh, gosh. This girl can play.’
“Kayla is a super athlete. She’s fast. She can hit for power. She can put bunts down and get on base. She’s very versatile. And she’s tough. She plays hockey.”
Doerre, who bats second in the order, is hitting .333 with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs. She has been rock solid at first base, committing just two errors so far this season.
Dimitrijevic appreciates the defense. But what she enjoys more is watching Doerre swing the bat.
“It’s really amazing,” Dimitrijevic said. “She just wows me in the box. Some of the hits she scrapes up for the team, it’s impressive. She has great hand-eye coordination at the plate.”
McLaughlin and Doerre have been a consistent one-two punch at the top of the order.
“I like hitting after Ellie,” Doerre said. “She’s a very good leadoff hitter. She gets things going for us, and I like to follow that and keep the energy up.
“I will be playing hockey in college, but I still have a passion for softball. It’s definitely something I look forward to every day.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
