Sandburg junior Zoe Trunk has a flair for being fleet with her feet.
She makes magical moves when the Eagles run a fast break in basketball. But she can be a real showstopper when she runs the bases in softball.
Trunk provided a great example in her first at-bat Friday against Oak Forest. She slap-bunted for a single, and when the ball got away, she went from first to third in the blink of an eye.
“That’s a big part of my game,” Trunk said, smiling. “I incorporate hitting, bunting, slapping, and use it all to my advantage on the bases. I utilize my speed to the best of my ability.”
Trunk scored the first run in Friday’s game, which was stopped in the bottom of the second inning due to rain and slick conditions. It will be continued at a later date, with Sandburg leading 4-0.
A three-year varsity player, Trunk is leading the Eagles (3-2) virtually everywhere on the stat sheet offensively. She’s batting an even .600 with three doubles, a triple, two stolen bases, a home run and five RBIs. She has yet to strike out this season.
Sandburg coach Amanda Allison puts Trunk in the leadoff spot for her slapping and speed but also her smarts. The smarts part goes for her defense as well.
“Zoe understands the details of the game,” Allison said. “She’s a student of the game. We had a practice the other day where we were doing some cuts, and we were talking about how she has one of the strongest arms on the team.
“If she’ll have a runner on second, she can easily pull out a ball fake and get that runner hung up between second and third. And if we can get the ball to her in certain instances, we have a good shot to get someone out at the plate.”
Her home run came on April 3 in a 10-1 victory over Oswego East. There was no jogging.
Trunk hit a drive down the left field line and never stopped running. She beat the throw to the plate with a head-first drive.
“I just ran the bases,” Trunk said, laughing. “I have hit two home runs before, but I don’t remember the last time that happened. It (inside the park) was probably the first.”
Trunk has been running like a deer since she was 10 years old and playing rec ball with future teammate Grace Torgerson. Trunk then made what would be a critical change to her batting style.
Or, rather, it was made for her.
“I used to be a righty,” Trunk said. “When I would bunt, they were like, ‘Oh, she’s fast, maybe we should flip her to the left side.’ So I changed to the left side and got taught by Grace’s dad.
“It was awkward at first, but I kept practicing. During the winter, we’d go on Tuesday nights for hitting and have Sunday practices. I didn’t use it in a game until I was 11. Once I learned it, I really benefitted.”
Grace Torgerson watched it develop over time.
“That whole slapping thing, it was so cool to see her grow as a hitter,” Torgerson said. “She obviously hits the ball really well, but it’s also nice to play with her because she’s really a leader.
“Zoe just picks everyone up. It can be raining and people are making overthrows and she’ll be there to pick them up. It’s really nice for our team to have that kind of leadership.”
Trunk plays on the field with her twin sister Olivia, who’s a starting outfielder. She’s following in the footsteps of their older sister Charlotte, however, as a shortstop.
“I pretty much watched Charlotte in every game she played,” Zoe said. “I’d come to all the Sandburg games and when she used to play travel. She always had a smile on her face.
“No matter where she was on the field, it didn’t matter. She always gave her best. That had a big impact on me loving softball. To see how much fun she was having, I wanted to do that myself.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.