Neuqua Valley ace Ava Drehs claims there is superstition behind her superpower.
The Creighton-bound senior has a list of pregame routines she must follow. One of them involves catcher Krista Waldusky.
“Me and Krista split a piece of gum and share it for the first inning until we’re on the same page,” Drehs said.
It doesn’t take long for Waldusky, a senior leader for the Wildcats, to figure out she and Drehs are good to go.
“I can honestly tell in warmups,” Waldusky said. “Like, as soon as she throws the first pitch, you can either know, like, ‘Oh, we’re on the same page,’ or, ‘Oh, we need a little bit more connection there.’”
If it’s the latter?
“We need a new piece of gum,” Waldusky said. “There’s been multiple times where we have spit out the first piece.
“We’re a little bit superstitious, to say the least.”
Indeed, the chewing gum isn’t the only piece of Drehs’ schtick.
“We also have another tradition with the game ball,” Neuqua Valley coach Danielle Asquini said. “Whenever she’s starting, I have to open it for her and give her the wrapper, and she puts it in her back pocket.
“Interesting superstitions around here. There’s always something that keeps us locked in, that keeps us ready to go.”
Drehs actually didn’t feel ready to go before facing Metea Valley in a DuPage Valley Conference game in Naperville on Wednesday.
“When we warmed up, I was talking to Krista,” she said. “I was like, ‘I actually don’t feel good today.’
“We were both like, ‘Oh, it’s hot, and we’re tired from a long day and stuff. But then, I don’t know, we just got out there and…”
Dominated.
In the final home game of her career, Drehs threw a three-hit shutout and recorded all 18 outs by strikeout in the Wildcats’ 10-0 win in six innings.
Waldusky and freshman Savannah Charlton had two hits and two RBIs apiece to back Drehs, whose strikeout feat was a first for her.
“I have not done that before,” Drehs said. “It’s exciting. My teammates are excited for me, too, and everyone’s happy.”
It was quickly apparent that Drehs and Waldusky wouldn’t require a second stick of gum. Drehs knew after the first pitch of the game to Metea Valley’s leadoff hitter, senior Grace Feeley.
“The first batter swung and missed the first pitch, and I was like, ‘OK, wait, I think we’ll be OK,’” Drehs said. “Because she’s pretty good. She’s awesome.”
Drehs was awesome throughout. Senior Sydney Eakin and freshman Maielle Ernser were the only batters to get hits for the Mustangs, who had only one runner reach third base.
“In warmups, she was throwing pretty hard today, and she was hitting her spots, spinning the ball,” Waldusky said. “When she does, when she puts it all together, she’s a pretty hard pitcher to hit.”
The Wildcats (13-14, 9-3) had no such problems and the Mustangs (6-18, 3-9). They led 5-0 after five innings before scoring five runs in the sixth, with junior Hannah Toomey clinching the game with a bases-loaded walk.
The ending was a bit anticlimactic because it prevented Drehs, who holds Neuqua Valley’s single-season and career strikeout records, from going for 21 strikeouts. Her career high is 19, but that was in a seven-inning game. She has 610 career strikeouts
“I was hoping we’d have another inning,” she said. “But it’s all right.”
For those wondering what type of gum Drehs chews, it’s a minty concoction called Extra Polar Ice. She’s stocked up and is hoping more wins are in store for the Wildcats, who are tied for the DVC lead with Naperville Central (17-12, 9-3) with three games remaining.
“We set a goal to win the conference, and we have to win all of our upcoming games in order to tie with Central,” Drehs said. “So I think having this game, like, in the books and it being a well-played, well-pitched game puts us in a better note for the rest of the week and next week.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
