By Bobby Narang –
Geneva High School head girls softball coach Greg Dierks received two surprises Monday.
Prior to his team’s showdown at St. Charles East, he was honored by the Saints’ coaches and players for his long coaching career. Dierks has been coaching the Viking program since 1990. He endured a rough start to his career, by not winning more than eight games in five of his first seven seasons with a low point of a 1-27 record in 1994.
But Dierks helped build the program into a consistent winner, which has included 16 of the last 21 years to lift his career record to 514 victories following Monday’s 1-0 triumph over the Saints.
Earlier this season, the Vikings defeated the Saints, 10-3, in DuKane Conference play.
“I told the girls after the game that beating them twice in one season is a rare event,” Dierks said. “I think we’ve only done it twice since I’ve been doing this. One was a couple of years ago. We also beat them two different ways. I don’t know if we’ve ever shut them out before. That was a heck-of-an effort. Our outfield defense was fantastic today.”
Geneva sophomore pitcher Shelly Deisz tossed a four-hit complete game and junior catcher Madison Femia knocked in the only run with a fourth-inning bloop single. The Vikings have a solid group of returnees next season.
St. Charles East head coach Jarod Gutesha said he was impressed by Deisz’s performance.
“She moves the ball in and out,” Gutesha said. “She hits the corners and that can be the difference. When they needed a big defensive play they made it. We had runners on early and couldn’t get the ball to the grass.”
St. Charles East left seven runners on base in a three-inning stretch. They hit four home runs, including two by Lauren Luna, to defeat Glenbard North, 18-2, Saturday.
“We had runners in scoring position early and just couldn’t get the big hit,” Gutesha said about the defeat to Geneva.
Meanwhile, Geneva’s Femia is relishing her second year playing softball after spending her entire career playing catcher in baseball. She played just a small sample of games last year.
“She had never played softball before last year,” Dierks said. “She joined us last year and has done a great job behind the plate for us. Shelly (Deist) had one of the best games that I’ve ever called on Saturday against Wheaton Warrenville South (in a 4-0 Geneva victory). Today, she was in more trouble but that’s a potent lineup. She made quality pitches today with people on base.”
Geneva improved to 5-2 in the first-year DuKane with Monday’s victory over St. Charles East, which fell to 6-3. Lake Park leads with a 7-1 record. Wheaton-Warrenville South, through Monday, was 3-4 in DuKane play.