Meticulously, Leach helps Elk Grove solve Buffalo Grove

Elk Grove senior Brianna Leach always enjoyed the television crime drama series CSI-Crime Scene Investigation.

"I like to knit-pick at things," she said. "That stuff has always interested me."

That's why Leach plans to study forensic science at Bowling Green. She does not plan to continue her softball career at the Ohio school.

Maybe that should be under investigation. Just kidding.

But she has been one of the top Mid-Suburban League softball players the last four years and showed again why on Friday, going 3-for-4 with a homer and double to help lead Elk Grove past host Buffalo Grove 6-4 in the battle for first place in the Mid-Suburban League East.

"Brianna has been a good part of our offense," said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams. "And she certainly led us today."

Leach has very good reason to bypass softball - she wants to be able to devote all her time to the important field she will study at a school which is leader in the department.

She sure was devoted to her plate performance against the three-time defending MSL East champions, right from the game's get-go.

The Grens left-handed hitting leadoff batter belted her ninth home run and 14th of her career on the second pitch of the game.

It helped ignite the Grens' offense which also got a homer from first baseman Shannon Taucher (No. 3 this spring) to give the club 34 for the season.

Elk Grove raised its record to 15-4 and 4-2 in the MSL East where it is 1 game ahead of Buffalo Grove (9-4, 3-3).

Sophomore Kylie Thomsen (6-2) earned the win over Julia Camardo (9-3).

It was Thomsen's sixth straight victory as she threw 3 strikeouts to catcher Alex Masnica, who went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Thanks to an RBI single by Sarah Pauscher (2-for-3) and 2-run bloop single to center by Aleece Duffy in the third inning, Thomsen had a 4-0 lead going into the fourth when her streak of 23 straight scoreless innings was snapped.

BG tied the game with 4 runs, sparked by RBI singles by sophomore Grace Gran and freshman Olivia Morini, and a 2-run single to right by Caitlin Catino, the Bison leadoff hitter who also went 3-for-4.

"We took a punch in that 4-run fourth," said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams. "And we bounced back. That's what I liked the most about this game - how the girls kept swinging the bats."

Taucher's big swing to lead off the sixth inning produced a towering homer over the left-center fence for a 5-4 lead.

After a flyout to Catino in center and a nice backhand stab by third baseman Jasmine Avalos for the next groundout, Abby Sloan drew a walk.

Sloan then raced home on Leach's double to left center to give Thomsen a 2-run cushion.

"Kylie has been working hard at trying to keep the ball down," Grams said. "And it has made a world of difference."

Leach said the Grens' hard work in the off-season has helped make a difference.

"We've really come together," she said. "We really want to win the conference so this was an important win."

In addition to Catino, BG also had multiple hits from cleanup hitter Emily Carnes (2-for-4).

Carnes also caught 4 strikeouts from Camardo, whose one-out single to right-center in the bottom of the seventh kept the Bison hopes alive.

But Thomsen got the final two batters on a groundout Duffy at short and roller back to the mound. Duffy also made a terrific diving stop of a grounder in the fourth inning to prevent multiple runs.

Katie Fontanetta and Dea Barton each hit sharp liners to left field in the sixth inning but Abby Sloan came up with nice catches, one a leaping grab, to take away hits.

Avalos had one of the top defensive plays for BG when she went falling into the Bison dugout to catch a pop foul for the final out of Grens' first inning.

"They (Elk Grove) played real good defense," said BG coach Jamie Paul. "And they obviously have some real good hitters. We've just got to keep moving forward. There's a lot of season to play. We've got to keep working hard. We just didn't match them today. It wasn't our day."