Feel-good MSL finish for power-hitting Conant

In its final regular-season game, Conant's bats reigned.

The Cougars belted 22 hits on Wednesday in a 22-2, five-inning Mid-Suburban League crossover victory played in a steady rain on the Hersey High School softball diamond.

"In my four years, this was probably the most it rained in one game," said Elisa Ambrose, the Cougars' captain and all-area center fielder as a junior. "It was a lot of fun. We had our bats going."

One of the biggest belonged to senior first baseman Hailey Rothstein (4-for-5, 8 RBI, double), who walloped her ninth and 10th homers for the season with 3-run shots in the third and fifth innings.

Junior Dream Aaron also went 4-for-5 with 2 homers and 5 RBI.

Ambrose played her role as leadoff batter to perfection, reaching base in all 5 at-bats and scoring every time. She was 4-for-4 with 5 runs and 2 RBI.

Sophomore pitcher Sam Gadomski (10-1) struck out three and tossed a 5-hitter for the Cougars (21-7).

Ambrose was a spiritual leader for the Cougars at the start of the season when she was sidelined for a few weeks with a back injury.

"You always want to be there to support your team," said Ambrose, who will study business at Illinois. "But it's not the same as when you are on the field and helping out. It's great to finish my senior year in conference with a win."

The win came under assistant coach Kelly Wolff, who was filling in for head coach CathyAnn Smith (out with illness).

"The girls pulled through and wanted to win it for CathyAnn, who couldn't be here," said Wolff, who has assisted Smith for 11 seasons. "When their bats are on, they're on."

Other multiple hitters for Conant were freshman Sydney Correa (4-for-5) and senior Stephanie Taucher (2-for-4, 2 run, RBI). Teammates DeeDee Durr (double), Rachel Falbo, Kim Zaucha and Morgan Bihun each had a hit.

"Despite the weather, the girls played the game they wanted to play," Wolff said. "We are just preparing for the postseason like everyone else."

"I think the next week of practice and our mental frame of mind are really going to help us in the postseason," said Conant senior Alissa Wachal who has also played volleyball and basketball the past four years.

Cassie Zouras (2-for-2, RBI) and Kim Lebahn (1-for-1, 1 run, RBI) led the offense for Hersey (10-18) while teammates Remy Gerew and Anna Johnson each had a hit.