Softball: Barrington blanks Dundee-Crown to claim regional crown
It took one batter in the Class 4A Hampshire regional softball championship game Saturday for both Barrington and Dundee-Crown to know what type of day it was going to be.
Chargers leadoff hitter Hannah Gestrich drove an offering from Catherine McMahon hard up the middle. But Barrington second baseman Jenna Patino moved quickly to her right, dove, fielded the grounder and threw to first to retire Gestrich.
Barrington kept making the plays in the field after that, so even though the Chargers squared up several balls and had three good scoring chances, the Fillies never wilted. They did just enough against Chargers ace Sydney Ruggles for a 2-0 victory - the program's 16th straight regional crown.
Dundee-Crown (21-13) left a runner at third in the second, and runners at first and second in both the fourth and sixth innings.
"I know I can rely on them 100 percent to make all the plays. They are so good," McMahon said of her error-free defense.
"We practice it so much (pitching in pressure situations) it is second nature by now. We work on having baserunners on base and all of us are used to it by now. I know I can rely on all the people behind me."
Top seed Barrington (33-3), whose only losses are to Sandburg, Lyons and Schaumburg, will play Belvidere North in the Class 4A Huntley sectional semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Normally the Fillies use a trio of pitchers but McMahon did all the work Saturday. She improved to 22-2, scattering 5 hits while striking out 7 and walking none.
"Fundamentally sound today," Barrington coach Perry Peterson said. "Nothing flashy. I was hoping we would hit a little better but all the credit to that has to go to Sydney Ruggles. She's just an outstanding pitcher. To the credit of our kids we stuck with it and were consistent with what we needed to do defensively and I thought Catherine did a great job on the mound."
After right fielder Rachel Krzysko made a running catch on the warning track to end the top of the first, she put Barrington ahead 1-0 with an RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the inning to score Carly Kordich, who had doubled.
"Our seniors did a nice job," Peterson said. "The two seniors put it together right away. You expect that. Both are talented young people."
The only other run came in the bottom of the fourth when Tori Meyer blasted a double to deep center, scoring a hustling Julia Kozar from first base.
"Different kids stepped up and did different things today," Peterson said.
Claire Weeks went 2-for-3 to lead the Chargers. Ruggles struck out 5 and allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.
"We need to come through with the timely hits. That has been our nemesis," Chargers coach Tracy Beatty said.
"I feel like we had great contact today but the contact went right to their defensive player. I don't know how else to put it. I felt like we really hit the ball well today. I was really proud."