Hobart senior Ella Hornak has been relishing every moment with her sister Nora.
Ella Hornak chose not to play last year but returned when Nora joined the Brickies as a freshman this season.
“I just took a year off,” Ella Hornak said. “But I came back my last year to play with my sister and hopefully make something of my senior year for softball.”
So far, Ella Hornak has been achieving that end. Sharing pitching responsibilities with classmate Morgan Ellenberger, she has contributed to all of the victories for the Brickies (3-1, 0-1) with two wins and a save entering their game against defending Northwest Crossroads Conference champion and Class 2A state runner-up Andrean on Friday.
Ella Hornak went 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 15 appearances during her sophomore season.
“I’m glad Nora joined the team, and I’m glad that motivated Ella to come back,” Hobart coach Steve Moss said. “It hurt a little bit not to have her last year, for sure.”
Nora Hornak’s addition also has provided a lift. She’s hitting .333 and is playing in the outfield to fill a gap for the Brickies.
“I just want to do my best,” she said. “I want to help the team benefit and do the best we can. It’s been really fun, especially since I’ve been playing with my sister. That’s a plus.”
She has impressed Moss with her ability and versatility.
“She’s actually a third baseman, but we needed an outfielder, so she’s been doing that and doing very well,” Moss said. “She’s done super well for us, especially being put in positions that are different for her.
“Any time you make it as a freshman, that’s a super significant thing to do.”
That idea hasn’t been lost on Ella Hornak.
“I’m very proud of her for making varsity her freshman year and how much she’s done already,” Ella Hornak said. “She just has to be confident and use all of her skills. She’s very good at what she does. I don’t think she’s confident enough in herself as everyone else is.”
Nora Hornak’s response?
“It’s really sweet,” she said.
Moss quipped, “They actually get along better than most sisters.”
Ella Hornak competed in cross country and track in each of her first three years at Hobart. As a freshman, she placed second in a sectional and fifth in a regional to qualify for a semistate meet in cross country. Achilles tendinitis in both feet contributed to her not running as a senior.
“It was pretty hard for me to run,” Ella Hornak said. “It was pretty painful.”
But she did wrestle for the first time this past season. She wound up advancing to a semistate.
“All of my friends were doing it, and they said it was fun,” Ella Hornak said. “It was pretty fun.”
Still, softball has been the main sport for both Hornak sisters. They credited their father, Jay, for assisting their growth.
“Our dad has a really big impact on our sports,” Nora Hornak said. “He has the same amount of commitment as us. He’s super supportive and will do anything for us to practice. He’ll come straight from work and come to the field to hit us grounders.”
They have options to hit too.
“Our dad built us a batting cage in our garage, so we’re basically always hitting or doing softball,” Ella Hornak said.
She plans to continue playing at South Suburban. Down the road, Nora Hornak also intends to play after high school.
“They’re so committed to the sport and enjoy the sport,” Moss said. “It’s great to have kids who truly love the game, and both of them do. It’s a unique thing. A lot of people are doing it for fun, which is good, of course. But you want to have kids who truly love to be out there.”
