Mundelein senior Lillian Scardicchio is getting a crash course in the individual sacrifices required for team success.
Scardicchio batted cleanup and played in the field last year as the Mustangs won 26 games. This season, however, she has primarily batted ninth as the designated hitter.
“At the start of this year, I wasn’t in the same spot, but I didn’t let that affect me,” Scardicchio said.
Winning is more important to her.
“Last year, we were good,” Scardicchio said. “But this year is better. What stands out is the drive. We all want to be here, and we all want to be good. I just can’t believe we’re state-bound.”
Believe it. The Mustangs (36-1), whose only loss came in a late-scheduled game against Class 3A power Antioch in mid-May, are making their first trip downstate since 1996, back in the days of two classes and state quarterfinals, and will play Marist (35-3) in the Class 4A state semifinals at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria at 3 p.m. Friday.
Scardicchio has a new role, but she still had a hand — and a voice — in getting them there. In a lineup with seven players hitting over .400, Scardicchio is batting .313 with two home runs, three triples, six doubles, 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Teammates have taken over at catcher and in right field, the positions where she split time last season, so she makes herself heard from the bench.
“I’m screaming for my batter and my pitcher,” she said. “I feel like I’m playing through my teammates. I feel like I’m there with them and stressed as heck, and I’m not even playing the field.”
Scardicchio understands the situation.
“If my coach wants to play someone else, there’s a reason why,” she said. “And I can’t be mad about that, and I have to be supporting that player.”
Mundelein’s Lillian Scardicchio swings at a pitch during the Class 4A Warren Sectional championship game against Libertyville in Gurnee on Friday, May 31, 2024. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)
Scardicchio’s support for teammates goes further. She helped freshman shortstop Taylor Pyke, who is hitting .435 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs, adjust to varsity softball.
“At the beginning of the season, she really took me in,” Pyke said. “She would drive me everywhere and was so welcoming. She always has a positive attitude in her mind. I sometimes struggle meeting new people, but I feel comfortable with this team. She’s been a blessing.”
Scardicchio’s teammates aren’t the only people who appreciate her.
“She is a really special player to us,” Mundelein coach Heather Ryan said. “She found a different role this year and really accepted it. She could have maybe been a bit more upset at where she was at in the lineup. I’m so proud of her and the way she’s handling her senior year.”
It has been a special one for Scardicchio, who is often connecting rallies to the Mustangs’ unrelenting top-of-the-order trio of sophomore outfielder Kieley Tomas, senior catcher Karina Benes and junior first baseman Claire Connelly.
Mundelein’s offensive juggernaut, which has scored at least 10 runs in 18 of 37 games this season, has its roots in before-school preseason workouts.
“Everyone was there, even though they were optional,” Scardicchio said. “We still came and still worked hard. We had hitting sessions before our games in the morning. We just want to be there and want to show up and get more reps.”
Scardicchio is no stranger to reps. A softball lifer, she has also played hockey for as long as she can remember. In fact, she’ll play both at Hood College.
“The first year, I’m going to grind, and in the second year, I’ll figure out what I want to do,” she said. “I know I love both sports so much. I don’t know what I’d do without them. It’s been a part of my daily schedule forever.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
