VANDALIA — Grace Lemke needed six strikeouts to check another goal off her list.
She got it in the third inning at Vandalia High School Softball Field.
Lemke struck out Vandalia third baseman Ollie Whitehead on four pitches for the 1,000th punchout of her career.
“It was a huge goal,” Lemke said. “Every year, I have some set goals and I set this one last year. I worked toward it and I kept seeing my numbers get closer and closer, so all I wanted was to make sure I got it in one game and didn’t have to split it in two.
“It means so much to me that I could do this and prove it to myself.”
The Altamont senior finished the game with 20 strikeouts, the second straight game with that many and the fourth time this season she struck out 20-or-more batters in a game.
Lemke sits at 1,014 for her career.
Before the game began, Lemke felt nerves hitting.
Head coach Megan Burrus said that she couldn’t throw a strike during her warmup.
Lemke was able to get those nerves out of her system once the game started, though, beginning her outing by striking out the side. Lemke would then fan one more in the second before three more in the milestone-breaking third.
Every strikeout was needed in this game, too.
The Lady Indians (13-5) were in a battle with the Vandals.
The game was tied until the sixth when Vandalia scored on a one-out RBI single by Bella Walk.
Lemke worked around that, though, striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
Altamont returned the favor in the top of the seventh.
Haley Arend drew a walk to start the frame. Avery Fleeharty then grounded out, pushing Arend to second base.
Lemke flew out to right field for the second out of the frame and the Lady Indians found themselves down to their last out.
Second baseman Ella Nelson didn’t mind that situation.
Nelson hit an RBI double, scoring Arend, and tying the game before Cecilia “Spike” Pearcy grounded out to end the frame.
The Vandals got a leadoff single to start the bottom of the seventh.
Lemke, though, struck out the next three batters despite courtesy runner Arian Dunaway stealing second and third.
Sophia Pearcy hit a one-out single in the top of the eighth.
Madison Tonn then flew out and Sophia Long looked to have popped out to first for the third out of the inning. The ball hit off the fielder’s glove, allowing courtesy runner Raegan Kuenstler to score all the way from first and give Altamont the 2-1 lead that it would ultimately hold on to.
“It hit the butt of her glove and it popped right out and we took advantage of it,” Burrus said.
Vandalia worked the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth.
Mady McCall hit a single and Elaina Hagy hit a double. Walk then drew a free pass.
“At that point, Grace is pitching from behind and a walk doesn’t hurt us,” Burrus said. “It just gives us a force out.”
Lemke struck out the next three batters, just as she did in the first inning, to end the contest.
“It’s nice to start and end that way,” Burrus said.
Though Lemke gets a lot of the credit, she wouldn’t be in the position she’s in without her catcher, Sophia Pearcy.
Lemke said, “Sophia and I go way back. She’s been my catcher since sixth grade. She learns things that I like and I’ve learned things that she likes. I definitely don’t give her as much credit as she deserves. If it wasn’t for her, we would not have as many strikeouts.”
Sophia added, “She’s the first pitcher I caught and the current pitcher I’m catching. When we were asked if we wanted the pitches called for us, we were like, ‘No, we got it.’ Our friendship on and off the field has helped us tremendously.”
Softball never stops for Lemke.
During the summer, she suits up for Premier Fastpitch.
“Grace has got a great amount of talent,” summer head coach Brad Sturdy said. “We were able to get her to come play with us and she’s had a ton of success in the travel circuit. The thing about her is she’s really developed as a pitcher. She used to throw hard and have great movement. Now, she’s really become a dominant pitcher.
“I love coaching her. She’s a great competitor, but she’s also a great kid. She’s just so much fun to be around. She has a really positive mentality and attitude that permeates throughout the team.”
Sturdy added that even when Lemke misses her spot, she can get away with it.
“She has such great movement. She works really hard and it’s a testament to what kids can be when they really put in that extra time,” he said.
Playing against elite competition during the summer circuit has also helped Lemke grow that much more.
“She’s part of our team that won the Top Gun Invitational last summer. She pitches against multiple D-I players every time she goes out there,” Sturdy said. “We see teams that are some of the best in the country and she competes against everyone.”
Though the 1,000-strikeout milestone was completed, there is still more to accomplish.
Two more numbers to watch for are 101 and 149. Lemke would pass former Shelbyville pitcher Grace Moll, who graduated in 2013 and sits on the Illinois High School Association all-time career strikeouts list, with 101 more punchouts. She would pass former Alexis (United) pitcher Katie Bertelsen, a 2010 graduate, with 101 more strikeouts.