Softball: Mundelein sees some progress
Mundelein softball coach Brett Wilhelm says he's not big into moral victories, but he took some satisfaction in his team's performance in Barrington's quad at the Fields of Dreams on Saturday.
Coming off a 1-3 effort downstate, Mundelein suffered a 6-5 loss in extra innings to Elk Grove, before dropping a 7-1 decision to Barrington.
"I thought we got a little better today, so I can't be too upset," said Wilhelm, whose Mustangs left Barrington with a 1-6 overall record. "We're slowly taking steps in the right direction."
Breanna Adams' solo homer in the top of the sixth against Elk Grove tied the score at 5-5. The Grenadiers scored in the bottom of the ninth to win it. Adams, who went the distance in the circle, also doubled and finished 2-for-3. Amanda Diaz (2 doubles) and Jordyn West were both 2-for-4 for the Mustangs, and Peyton Pribyl doubled as well.
In Mundelein's second game, Barrington scored 5 runs in the second inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. The Mustangs had just 5 hits, all singles. Diaz and Karlee Busscher both went 2-for-3.
Wauconda 9, Marengo 8: On Friday at the Bandits Ballpark in Rosemont, Taylor McCarthy's two-out, bases-loaded flyball to right-center field was dropped, allowing the Bulldogs to walk off with a dramatic nonconference win against the Class 3A perennial state power.
Freshman Kayla Serio pitched 6 innings in relief for her first high school win. She allowed a walk and 5 hits, holding the Indians to 4 runs. Mariah Dionne took the loss in relief.
Brooke Sefcik (2-for-3) homered and doubled for Wauconda (2-1), which played its second game in a row without ace Kayla Wedl (school trip). Serio went 3-for-4, while Alyssa McCarthy was 2-for-3.
Wauconda committed 2 errors in the first inning, leading to 4 runs (3 unearned). Three more errors in the third gave Marengo (4-2) two more unearned runs. A lone tally in the fourth ended the Indians' scoring for the contest. Wauconda's defense settled down after that, doubling off one of the two runners allowed to reach base in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
Sefcik homered off Dionne in the fourth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Wauconda rallied after two out. Hayley Redmann battled the count full, then drew a walk. Alyssa McCarthy singled, and leadoff hitter Serio also drew a full count before walking to load the bases. Taylor McCarthy also coaxed a full count, then launched a deep drive toward the right-center gap. The right fielder gloved the ball but collided with the center fielder, knocking the ball free. Redmann and Alyssa McCarthy scored.
West Salem 6, Grayslake North 5: On Friday, the Knights completed their spring-break trip to Orlando, Fla., with a tough loss.
Grayslake North (3-3) saw its Wisconsin opponent take a 6-4 lead with a three-run fifth. The Knights scored a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Jenna Pozezinski took the hard-luck loss, giving up 1 unearned run in 3 innings of work. Pozezinski, Dani Runyon and Jessica Vaughn combined for a four- hitter with 7 strikeouts, while giving up 1 earned run. Pozezinski finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Vaughn went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Runyon added another RBI.