Dimitrijevic delivers shutout for Lincoln-Way Central
Freshman pitcher strikes out 14 in 2-hit gem as Knights stymie Andrew
Lincoln-Way Central freshman Lisabella Dimitrijevic has a real poker face when she’s in the pitching circle.
There’s no smile. No apprehension. No confusion. Just eyes that stare straight ahead as she rocks back and forth before her delivery.
Knights coach Jeff Tarala calls her “stoic.”
Sophomore catcher Lucy Cameron?
“She seems ... I mean, she intimidates me sometimes,” Cameron said of Dimitrijevic. “I don’t know why. Her face — she’s very, like, serious.
“I’m sure it gives her an edge. I’m sure the other team knows she’s a freshman, so they’re expecting something different.”
Dimitrijevic was lights out Thursday for Lincoln-Way Central in a 5-0 SouthWest Suburban Red victory over host Andrew in Tinley Park.
Lyndsey Grein was the hitting star with an RBI single and a solo home run for the Knights (16-3-1, 6-0). Kendall Pearson and Jamie Widule added two hits apiece.
Kaidence Bruno and Hailey Morsovillo had hits for Andrew (9-8, 4-2).
The right-handed Dimitrijevic was brilliant in firing a two-hit shutout. She struck out 14 and didn’t allow a Thunderbolts runner past first base.
With her bat, Dimitrijevic also produced two hits and reached base three times.
The missing smile was there on full display after the game — along with some eye glitter.
She’s a bit different when she’s not in the circle.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Dimitrijevic said. “Nothing really goes on in my head when I’m out there. My head’s kind of blank when I pitch, but I do like to attack the batters.”
Dimitrijevic (6-0), who has seen a fair share of pitching time behind the team’s
ace in Grein, has 122 strikeouts in 56 innings with an ERA hovering around 1.00.
She’s also hitting .405 out of the No. 3 spot in the order.
“I didn’t really see this coming,” Dimitrijevic said. “When I made varsity, I thought I wasn’t going to pitch that much because of Lyndsey. But it’s fun.”
Grein, a Virginia Tech recruit, was in a similar position as Dimitrijevic as a freshman on the varsity.
“I can remember my freshman year how eager I was to play and compete,” Grein said. “I think Bella shows that characteristic.
“Whoever it is on that day, Bella or I or Alexa Michon, we have that faith because we want to compete. Bella just has a competitor’s mentality.”
There is a fun side, though. “I can assure you that Bella is a bit of a goof,” Grein said, laughing. “But definitely, on the field, she’s all business.”
In 2021, Grein was a workhorse for the Knights in their run to a second-place finish in Class 4A. She finished 26-3 and pitched a whopping 211 innings.
Tarala addressed the issue with Grein this spring when he made the decision to bring up Dimitrijevic.
“We worked Lyndsey extremely hard last season,” Tarala said. “We probably overworked her. She came into this year and said, ‘Hey, I’ll do whatever you guys need me to do.’ But she also mentioned if we could give her some breaks every now and then, it would be helpful.
“Lyndsey is an incredible team player, a very selfless player. She has no problem sharing the ball or the accolades with anyone.”
Grein, meanwhile, is doing even better at the plate than she did last season. She’s hitting .460 with 27 RBIs. The home run was her 10th of the season.
“I’m trying to finish strong with my hitting,” Grein said. “Hopefully, it’ll keep moving up or at least stay consistent. We still have more work to do.
“As far as the pitching, I told coach, ‘Whatever you think is the best way to win, I have faith in that.’ If it’s on the bench cheering, on the mound or just hitting, whatever he thinks is great on that day, that’s what we’re going with.”