St. Charles East pitcher Hannah Wulf experienced anything but smooth sailing despite pitching a no-hitter through five innings. The South Carolina recruit was unaware of her performance until Fremd got its first hit, and someone brought it to her attention.
“I try not to think about a no-hitter while I’m pitching,” Wulf explained. “It’s kind of superstitious. I feel if I think about it, then someone will get a hit.”
On Saturday, Wulf struck out eight batters, securing a 1-0 win over Fremd in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional championship game. Despite hitting four batters and walking two, her efforts were key to the Saints’ victory.
“When she needed to come through, she was clutch,” St. Charles East coach Jarod Gutesha remarked. “It was a tight zone, and both pitchers had to work through it.”
Fremd’s senior right-hander, Molly Kanupke, also performed well, striking out six while giving up five hits and three walks. The Saints’ single score came in the sixth inning when Morgan Beers singled and scored, leading the Saints (31-8) to face Marist (35-1) in a supersectional game.
“It was a crazy game with all those hit by pitches,” Wulf noted, admitting to hitting Fremd’s Emily Usalis twice. “It wasn’t her fault — it was all me.”
Coach Gutesha described Wulf’s challenges: “Hannah throws a curveball that runs in on right-handed batters.” Wulf confirmed, “Even my fastball sometimes runs in on right-handers too.”
The tightest situation Wulf faced was in the fifth inning when she allowed the leadoff hitter and the next batter to reach base. She responded by striking out the next three batters, stranding two runners.
Wulf credited her success to catcher Hayden Sujack. “I concentrated on Hayden. She called a great game, and we trusted our defense.”
Infielders like senior right fielder Lexi Majkszak contributed by handling challenging plays. Sujack praised her teammate, saying, “A ball goes out there, I know she’s catching it.”
Sujack also contributed offensively with two walks and a key single in the sixth, setting up Beers’ game-deciding run. She explained Hannah’s pitching style: “Her inside pitches are effective. I’d rather have the misses because her stuff is working well.”
The team looks forward to facing Marist after losing a nonconference game in April. “It’s a great team,” Wulf said. “Anyone can beat anybody on any day. We’re excited.”