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Pagan, Bartlett outduel Dobler, South Elgin

The wind was blowing out, but the cold weather made it a game fit for a pitchers' duel when Bartlett hosted rival South Elgin in an Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division softball game on Wednesday.

Holly Pagan tossed a 2-hitter for the Hawks and the Storm's Karli Dobler did a masterful job pitching out of jams, but Bartlett's 12-hit attack capped by a 3-run home run by Katie Fornoff in the sixth inning gave the hosts a 4-1 victory.

"Cold games like this, it comes down to taking advantage of mistakes and pitching," Hawks' coach Jim Wolfsmith said. "Holly was dealing today. Hats off to (Dobler) because she did a nice job get us to hit grounders, but we were able to produce some runs late."

Not allowing a hit until South Elgin (8-11, 2-7) was down to its final out, Pagan (10-4) faced just 2 runners that reached on errors and 2 more on walks through six frames.

Pagan finished with 14 strikeouts, 10 coming in the first four innings including 8 straight.

"She had our number," said Storm coach Stephanie Katzenberger. "The girls weren't seeing her well at all."

With a runner at second base and two gone in the top of the seventh, Brittany Koss broke up the no-hitter with a slow roller down the first base line and Rachel Ziemba broke up the shutout with a pinch-hit RBI single.

"I knew it was going to be a close game," Pagan said. "South Elgin is our biggest rival, and we always play them close."

Dobler (2-3) stranded 8 runners in the game, 4 in scoring position. She walked 1 and struck 1 in 6 innings of work.

In the second inning, Alyssa Nowak hit a single and Sydney Johnson (2-for-2) a double with one out but Dobler got out of the jam unscathed thanks in part to shortstop Sam Helton throwing out a runner at the plate.

"I'm really happy with her performance," Katzenberger said of Dobler. "She really had great pitch selection, and had them guessing in key situations."

With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, Dobler nearly again got out of a jam when second baseman Demi Queen made a diving attempt on an Alex Morales liner. The ball popped out of Queen's glove on her landing giving Morales (2-for-3) an RBI single and Bartlett (16-5, 8-3) a 1-0 lead.

Sydney Johnson walked and Amy Johnson (2-for-3) singled with one out in the sixth inning, and Fornoff came to the plate with two outs. Not letting the cold bother her, she cleared the left field fence for a 4-0 lead.

"It wasn't exactly tough at that point because I was warmed up from playing," Fornoff said. "I just looked for a pitch to hit, and I got one."

Dana Paul added a 2-for-4 performance at the plate for the Hawks.

  Bartlett's Sydney Johnson is tagged out trying to advance to second by South Elgin's Demi Queen Wednesday in Bartlett. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Bartlett's Holly Pagan delivers against South Elgin Wednesday in Bartlett. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Bartlett first baseman Amy Johnson drops the throw to allow South Elgin's Taylor Ford to be safe in the fifth inning Wednesday in Bartlett. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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