Softball: Aurora Central leads Kaneland in suspended game
Kaneland's softball team tried to squeeze in its regional opener Tuesday between showers, but that decision didn't work out well for the Knights.
Hosting No. 7 seed Aurora Central Catholic (12-13) in the Class 3A Kaneland regional, No. 1 seed Kaneland (21-12-2) got through one inning with relatively good weather before the rain began to come down hard in the top of the second.
The Knights' starting pitcher Aly Jesionowski had trouble throwing the ball in the wet conditions, walking 5 in the second inning and uncorking 4 wild pitches. The Chargers scored 1 run when Izzy Hernandez scampered in on a wild pitch and another when Kaitlin Carlson came in on a grounder that Kaneland bobbled and threw wild to first, again in the slippery conditions.
Umpires suspended the game after Jessica Eallonardo drew a walk, loading the bases with 2 outs and No. 3 hitter Danielle Brown coming up.
That's where the game will resume at 4 p.m. Wednesday, with the Chargers leading 2-0 and Brown batting. The other semifinal that had been scheduled Wednesday, No. 4 Freeport vs. No. 6 Rosary, will be played Thursday.
The second inning could have been worse for Kaneland if not for catcher Lauren Callahan hustling to retrieve a wild pitch and throwing to Jesionowski covering the plate to get Chargers runner Casey Feltes trying to score.
Brown retired Kaneland in the first, allowing a 1-out walk to Donatela Sommesi who was thrown out trying to steal second by Eallonardo.
Barrington 2, CL South 1 (susp.): The Class 4A semifinal at Hampshire between No. 6 seed Crystal Lake South and No. 1 Barrington was suspended in the top of the fifth inning with Barrington leading 2-1.
Barrington scored twice in the first inning before the Gators (17-13) came back with a run in the third. Emily Sulikowski's RBI single scored Brittany Baker with CL South's run.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Baker and Carly Chovanec singled and with Sulikowski at the plate the game was suspended. It will be resumed at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday with the Dundee-Crown vs. Hampshire game now scheduled for Thursday.