Valles tosses shutout as Maine West splits with Schaumburg

Ariel Valles pitched her final regular-season game on the varsity diamond, where she has spent most of her high school softball career.

The Maine West senior made it a game to remember by tossing a 5-0 shutout over visiting Schaumburg on Saturday in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader in Des Plaines.

The Saxons won 6-1 in Game behind a 7-hitter from sophomore Shannon Felde.

“I feel I’ve gotten stronger at the end of the season,” said Valles, who struck out two while tossing a 3-hitter and improving to 10-4 for the 17-6 Warriors, who finished second in the Central Suburban North behind Glenbrook North. “I believe in my pitches and I’ve just got trust in my defense that if the ball is hit, they are going to make the play behind me.”

Valles hopes to play two more high school games in Des Plaines. Her Warriors host the Class 4A Maine West regional this week.

The Warriors gave Valles all the runs she would need in the first inning when they scored twice.

Holly Wengerski went 3-for-4 with 2 runs for the Warriors while Hanna Udischas was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Teammates Abbey Herling, Gina Larucci. Sadie Argus, Brie Montmarquette, Valles and Erin Ross each had a hit.

Kelly Poplar (2-for-3, double), Paige Alt (1-for-3) and Hannah Kerr (1-for-3) led the offense for Schaumburg.

In Game 2, the Saxons (19-9) got 3 runs in the third and 3 more in the fourth for Felde, who improved to 6-5.

Alt led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI while Julia Bellinger and Lindsay Leiber were each 2-for-3.

“We had more intensity and communicated more in the second game,” Bellinger said. “We just have to keep the intensity up for the regionals.”

Other hits for the Saxons were by Dana Giannelli (RBI), Hannah Kerr (RBI), Felde (RBI) and Jamie Kudjer.

“It’s nice to pick up some energy heading into the regional,” Giannelli said. “I was impressed by how we picked it up for the second game.”

Larucci led the Warriors in Game 2 by going 3-for-3 with a double while Argus was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Renee Pond and Herling also had hits.

Elk Grove 3, Providence New Lenox 1: The Grenadiers (22-13) edged highly regarded Providence Catholic in New Lenox as junior Megan Eul (12-6) tossed a 6-hitter with 2 strikeouts and no walks.

Elk Grove had four baserunners in the game, and three scored.

Junior Becca Maher started the game by reaching on an error and came home when No. 2 hitter Aleece Duffy doubled. Two batters later, Duffy scooted home on Elisa Payne’s RBI groundout for a 2-0 lead.

The Grens’ third run came in the top of the sixth when Maher singled with one out and scored on Brianna Leach’s two-out double.

The Grens’ defense stepped up without an error and one highlight came in the fourth inning. Payne made a nice run-saving catch in center field when the hosts had runners on second and third.

Grens Hall of Fame coach Ken Grams picked up his 798th career win, leaving him 2 shy of becoming only the second coach in IHSA history to reach 800.

Palatine 10, Resurrection 1: Host Palatine (18-11) won behind winning pitcher Megan Hedstrom (1 strikeout in 4 innings) and Dom Boisvert (4 strikeouts in 3 innings).

Sparking the Pirates’ offense were Lauren Logan (3-for-4, double, 3 run, 3 RBI), Tori Walzak (3-for-4, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI) and Hedstrom (2-for-3, triple, 4 RBI, 2 runs).

Westminster Christian 7, CLA 4: Christian Liberty pitcher Megan Sullivan, who struck out five, also went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and 1 run in the championship game of the Westminster Christian Class 1A regional.

Beth Cunningham and Hannah Miller added triples for the Chargers while Darby Calkins doubled.

Christian Liberty had won the regional crowns the last two years.

Conant drops two: Host New Trier topped the Cougars 5-1 and 2-0 in Winnetka as the Trevians’ Allison Quigley threw a 2-hitter with 8 strikeouts in the opener.

Lauren Secaras earned the win in Game 2 for New Trier (26-2).

Conant (15-11) opens play in the Glenbard West regional on Wednesday against the host Hilltoppers.

Wheeling sweeps: Wheeling (10-16) swept host Highland Park 10-5 and 17-7 as Katie Quagliano and Taylor Vasey notched the wins.

For the two games, senior Sara Kern was 9-of-11 with 4 doubles and a triple.

Other key contributors for the Wildcats were Nikki Mikosz (6-for-11, 2 doubles), Megan Olsen (3 triples), Quagliano (4-for-9, 2 doubles), Jackie Resnick (2 doubles) and Anne Janulis (3 RBI, double).

Friday’s result: Senior first baseman Michelle Mazur belted her third home run in three games and it gave the visiting Vikings a 5-4 lead over Maine South in the top of the fifth inning.

The Vikes (22-7) went on to post an 8-5 triumph in Park Ridge

It was Mazur’s fourth homer of the season as she went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI and a double.

Fremd senior catcher Kristine Herdegen hit the left field scoreboard in the second inning for her sixth homer of the season.

Senior Mandi Matsumoto was the other multiple hitter for Fremd as she went 3-for-3 with 6 stolen bases.

Senior pitcher Ashlynne Schwantz (21-4) earned the win with 3 strikeouts.

Vikings shortstop Leigh Farina was 1-for-2 with walk. Her lineout to first is the only time she has not reached base in her last 12 trips to the plate.