Softball: They meet again, in MSL title game: Elk Grove at Conant

The opponents for the 42nd Mid-Suburban League championship softball game are hardly strangers.

In fact, they met for the same prize in 2011 and 2012.

Mid-Suburban West champion Conant (22-5, 15-1) and East champion Elk Grove (23-5, 12-4) will be meeting for the third time in six years when they take the field in Hoffman Estates today at 4:45 p.m.

The Cougars won the previous two title meetings with the Grens.

In fact, Conant is perfect in four previous championship games, including the first one in 1974 over Wheeling and the 2014 edition when it triumphed over Buffalo Grove.

Conant has three players who were part of the 3-0 win over Buffalo Grove.

Current senior Sara Neuman (18-1) entered that game as a sophomore with an 11-0 pitching record, a. 450 batting average and 6 home runs.

Current senior Dream Aaron was a sophomore catcher batting .433 with 3 homers.

Neuman doubled in the 2014 game and scored the final run while Aaron made a key tag out at the plate.

Today, they are the Cougars' starting battery, and the only seniors on the varsity roster.

Neuman's sparkling 18-1 mark this spring includes her first no-hitter on Monday, a 14-0 shutout against Palatine.

Junior shortstop and leadoff battery Lauren Grzelak was a freshman utility player for the 2014 championship team.

Grzelak is one of 12 Cougars' underclassmen this spring.

"These girls have just been focused," said Conant coach Cathyann Smith, whose career record stands at 309-196 in 16 seasons that includes a perfect 3-for-3 record in MSL title games. "We've just got to keep doing all the little things we've been doing all season."

Neuman and the Cougars defeated Elk Grove 4-0 on May 2 in Hoffman Estates.

Neuman fired a 2-hitter with 4 strikeouts.

Conant scored 3 runs in the first inning.

"They scored 3 runs in that first inning with an error in the middle of it," said Elk Grove 36-year veteran hall of fame coach Ken Grams who has won 879 career games, second most in IHSA history. "We can't give them extra at-bats because they are a very good team."

Aaron (2-for-3), sophomore Sydney Correa (2-for-2, 2 RBI), junior Sam Gadomski (1-for-3, 1 run), sophomore Jackie Burchfield (1-for-3, 1 run) and junior Morgan Bihun (RBI, 1 run) were top hitters for Conant in the earlier game vs. Elk Grove.

The rest of the Cougars' lineup includes Grzelak, junior Sara-Kate Pasbrig, sophomore Makenna McCarthy, sophomore Delany Szwed, junior Carly Rossdeutcher, sophomore Jac Carlucci, sophomore Paige Nallen and junior Ally Lira.

Elk Grove junior Kylie Thomsen (14-3) struck out nine the first time she faced the Cougars.

Senior Carly Crothers and junior Keeley Cronin had the hits in that game for Elk Grove, which features several players back from last year's East championship squad which lost to Schaumburg 9-1 in the MSL title game.

Thomsen has belted 10 homers, second on the team behind senior Sarah Pauscher who has 15.

When Pauscher steps to the plate, she will be facing her future teammate in college. She and Neuman will be attending Saint Leo University in Florida.

Completing the Grenadiers' roster are senior Alex Masnica, junior Haley Itzenthaler, senior Abbey Sloan, senior Anna Bonder, junior Sabra Morton, senior Mackenzie Flannery, junior Jessica Kearns, junior Amy Pietruszynski, Crothers and Cronin.

Elk Grove is appearing in its 17th title game (all under Grams) and 14th since 2000.

Smith is well aware of the successful longevity of the program. She also played against Grams when she pitched for Schaumburg.

"I've always admired him, even from my playing days," said Smith, who is assisted by Kelly Wolff and Anthony Donatucci. "Elk Grove is always tough to beat. Our girls have to stay focused."

Grams has won five MSL crowns, the last in 2009 over Barrington.

He will send Thomsen to the mound as she comes off a 5-0 shutout over Rolling Meadows on Monday.

"Kylie pitched well against Conant the first time and I am confident she will again," said Grams, who is assisted by Colleen Mullaney and Kim Ferraro. "Offensively, we had multiple runners in only one inning. So we have to create things that way and we can't give them extra at-bats."