Stevenson rallies past Libertyville

Standing on the softball field where she once helped Stevenson put together one of its best seasons ever, Alex Vikartofsky experienced a flashback.

Stevenson's first-year head coach watched as Elissa Wisniewski, Libertyville's fourth-year coach, loosened up her once-dynamite right arm.

"I saw her warming up pitching," Vikartofsky said. "I was like (excitedly), 'Oh, man. 'Wiz' is on the mound.' I used to come watch her when I was in grade school. She's always been somebody that I looked up to."

For as great as Wisniewski was at Stevenson, winning 99 games between 1999-2002, she hasn't experienced great memories at her high school alma as a coach. After Stevenson scored 4 runs in the bottom of the sixth to capture a 7-3 win in the teams' North Suburban Conference Lake Division opener Monday, the Wildcats are 0-4 against the Patriots since Wisniewski became their coach.

"I'm bringing a goat the next time," Wisniewski joked.

Molly Thon singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth for Stevenson, which improved to 2-2 by winning its home opener. Libertyville fell to 5-2 with its second loss in a row.

"We know that 'Wiz' wants to win here, and we always struggle," Libertyville senior first baseman Madi Dembinski said. "We got to figure it out. We got to find a way to get the tough wins and win at places where we're not always comfortable."

Vikartofsky won 41 games in her three-year varsity career (2004-06). Twenty-three of those came during her senior season, when Stevenson posted a school-record 30 wins.

Vikartofsky and Wisniewski both coach U-16 summer travel teams and have coached against each other before. But facing each other at Stevenson was admittedly a "different feel" for Vikartofsky.

"I know 'Wiz' was amazing (in high school) and so was my coach," said Stevenson pitcher Ruby Mankus, who pitched 5-plus innings and got a no-decision. "It was a good win for her."

Stevenson never trailed, but saw Libertyville pull even at 3-3 in the sixth when Michaela Mooney greeted reliever Myra Peterson with a line-drive RBI single off the glove of second baseman Emma Oriatti. Mooney's third hit in as many at-bats came after Dembinski smacked her second double of the game.

Kenzie Rother (2-for-3) followed with an infield single. But Peterson retired the next two hitters, and then pitched a 1-2-3 seventh. A running catch by center fielder Vera Pflugradt was typical of the defense Stevenson played from start to finish.

Shortstop Taylor Koenigs made a diving catch in the hole to snag Hannah Heraty's first-inning line drive with speedy Jessie Lauret (2-for-4) on second base.

"Taylor Koenigs set the tone of the game with that diving catch in the first inning," Vikartofsky said. "And then Emma Oriatti just sticking all those plays at second was awesome."

Oriatti snagged Heraty's third-inning liner and turned it into a 4-3 double play. Oriatti then assisted on all three Libertyville outs in the fifth.

In the fourth, Dembinski launched a shot to deep left-center. Pflugradt relayed the ball to Koenigs, who fired a strike to third baseman Alyssa Pauly, who applied the tag on a sliding Dembinski.

"It was great to have defense behind me," said Mankus, who allowed 11 hits but didn't walk a batter. "We made some awesome plays in the field and in the outfield. And it was nice to have Myra (Peterson) help me at the end."

Koenigs went 2-for-3 with 4 stolen bases and 3 runs scored, Pflugradt was also 2-for-3, and Trisha Porzycki had a pair of RBI groundouts for Stevenson. Hannah Epstein ripped a double.

Libertyville outhit Stevenson 13-7, getting triples from Jamie Stevens (2-for-4) and Mooney (3-for-3), as well as Dembinski's pair of extra-base hits. Stevenson's 4 runs off starting pitcher Heraty in the sixth were all unearned.

"I think (Stevenson) came out pumped up ready to play, and we came out flat," Wisniewski said. "When that happens, it's really hard to win softball games. They did a great job of staying on us all seven innings. Our kids did a good job fighting, but in the end we need to do a better job of staying focused and taking care of business."