Softball: MSL's 'final four' set for sectionals
Because of adverse weather, Mid-Suburban League softball teams seemed to have more games than usual suspended and later resumed this spring.
Four MSL teams resume their seasons this week after winning Class 4A regional titles on Saturday.
Moving on to the Schaumburg sectional are Mid-Suburban League champion Conant and MSL East champ Elk Grove. Barrington heads to Belvidere North while Hersey competes at Buffalo Grove.
At Schaumburg: Conant coach Cathyann Smith (312-196 in 16 seasons) has the Cougars playing in their seventh sectional in school history and third in a row.
They also won regional titles in 1980, 2002, 2005, 2012, 2014 and 2015.
The No. 2-seeded Cougars (25-5) take on No. 3 St. Charles East (31-4) at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Smith's Cougars won the MSL crown for the third time in six years.
Senior pitcher Sara Neuman has enjoyed one the state's top seasons on the mound, winning 21 games against just 11 loss.
She threw a perfect game to win the MSL title game 1-0 over Elk Grove less than two weeks ago.
No. 5 seeded Elk Grove faces top-seeded St. Charles North (23-5) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Veteran coach Ken Grams, the second winningest coach in Illinois with 881 wins in 36 seasons, guided the Grens to their 20th regional title with a 5-4 win over Fremd at Larkin High School last Saturday.
Junior Kylie Thomsen (16-4) has been stellar on the mound and allowed only 2 hits when the Grens lost in the MSL title game.
Elk Grove is appearing in its second straight sectional under Grams, who has won four (1982, 2002, 2010 and 2012). The Grens were third in the state in 2010 and fourth in 2012.
At Belvidere North: Coming off its 20th regional title in school history and 17th under coach Perry Peterson, Barrington (27-7) faces Huntley (26-8) in Tuesday's semifinal.
Fillies sophomore pitcher Catherine McMahon owns a record of 22-6. The right-hander blanked Crystal Lake South 3-0 in Saturday's championship game of the Dundee-Crown regional.
The Fillies have won 15 straight regionals and three straight sectional crowns under Peterson, who owns a 741-179 career record in his 25 seasons (first at St. Viator followed by 24 at Barrington).
At Buffalo Grove: Ninth-year Hersey coach Molly Freeman has guided the Huskies to their first sectional appearance since the 1993 team under coach Nancy Holmgren.
Freeman's Huskies have won 11 of their last 15 games and will face top-seeded Libertyville at 4:30 p.m. in Tuesday's semifinal.
Freshman pitcher Sarah Bailitz (12-9) earned the win over Mundelein on Saturday when Hersey won its fourth regional crown in school history (the others were 1977 and 1992).
The Huskies' feature Northern Illinois recruit Katie Wingerter, a junior shortstop who has set the single-season record for home runs this season with more than 15.