Softball: McHenry stops Grant's postseason run

Tori Boysen hit a 2-run homer, Lindsey Ciesla fired a 5-hitter, and McHenry stunned Grant 2-0 in a Class 4A softball regional final at Prairie Ridge in Crystal Lake on Saturday.

Grant, the No. 2 seed in sub-sectional A of the Huntley sectional complex, finished 25-10. No. 7 McHenry (15-19) will play Huntley (28-6), the top seed in sub-sectional B, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in a sectional semifinal at Huntley.

The sophomore Ciesla surrendered just 5 singles, as McHenry captured its fifth regional championship in six years.

"Lindsey was so composed," Warriors coach John DiFrancesca said. "Great team effort. Love this team. Love the spirit."

Boysen homered off Grant starter Sydney Goessele with a runner on first base and none out in the top of the fourth inning. Boysen doubled in her first at-bat.

Grant's best scoring chance came in the sixth, as pinch hitter Megan Chapman and Erin Bengston singled to start the inning. But Ciesla got cleanup hitter Calista Warmowski to pop out. Becca Wold then lined into a 6-3 double play with Bengston getting doubled off first base.

Ciesla allowed a two-out single in the seventh to Jaylee Pfau but got the final out on a flyball to center field.

"It just didn't bounce our way today," Bulldogs coach Chris Van Alstine said. "I'm proud of my girls. It's been a fantastic run."

McHenry tried to pitch around Bengston, who entered the game with a school-record 22 home runs. The junior walked her first two at-bats before coming to the plate in the sixth with Chapman on first base. Bengston ripped a base hit into center field.

"Absolutely happy with a single," a smiling DiFrancesca said.

Grant had a runner in scoring position only one other time.

"We have to be able to adjust," Van Alstine said. "It's been a long time since we were looking around at each other waiting for somebody else to get it going, instead of us just saying, 'I'm going to do it.' "

Grant graduates only one senior starter in center fielder Wold.

Grayslake Central 5, Wauconda 4: At Grayslake Central, Elisa Koshy's walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the second-seeded Rams in their own Class 3A regional final.

Grayslake Central (25-11) will play No. 6 Richmond-Burton (15-10) in Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. sectional semifinal at Antioch.

Winning pitcher Reagen Radke (18-7, 8 strikeouts, 1 walk) went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double. Koshy was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

No. 7 Wauconda got home runs from Sarah Ricci, Alex Steffens and Mallory Carver. Kayla Serio, who suffered the loss, was 3-for-4. Steffens and Carver each had a pair of hits.

St. Viator 2, Vernon Hills 0: At St. Viator, the fourth-seeded Lions scored solo runs in the first and second innings to end the season of the fifth-seeded Cougars in the Class 3A regional final.

Tatiana Guletsky, Nicole Pieper and Sara Lenzi had the only hits for Vernon Hills off Lions pitcher Grace Kaiser.

St. Viator will play top-seeded Antioch in Tuesday's 4:30 p. m. sectional semifinal at Antioch.

Vernon Hills freshman pitcher Madison Johnson settled down after the second inning, retiring 13 of the next 14 hitters.

Antioch 10, Ridgewood 0: At Ridgewood, Piper Foote went 3-for-3 with a homer, Stephanie Bonaguidi pitched a five-inning complete game with 9 strikeouts and only 2 hits allowed, and the top-seeded Sequoits won the Class 3A regional final.

Avery Malicki also homered for Antioch (25-8), which advances to its own sectional and will play St. Viator in a semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Malicki (2 RBI) and Jill Foote both finished 2-for-3. The Sequoits got doubles from Carlie Gaylord (2 RBI) and Annie Wagner. Megan Lawrence singled and knocked in 2 runs.

Palatine 6, Lake Zurich 5: At Zion-Benton, the sixth-seeded Bears led the Class 4A regional final 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth. But the No. 3 seed scored 1 run in the sixth, four in the seventh and one in the eighth on Brittanny Padden's walk-off single.

Palatine will play No. 2 Warren in Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. New Trier sectional semifinal at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka.

Elizabeth Chialdikas went 3-for-4 with a double for Lake Zurich (16-15), and Jessica Puccinelli was 2-for-4.

Palatine got a home run from Brooke Bauer.

Hersey 13, Carmel 8: The fourth-seeded Huskies won the Class 4A regional final to advance to Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. New Trier sectional semifinal at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka against top-seeded Libertyville.

No. 5 Carmel finished 20-14.

Richmond-Burton 13, Lakes 8: At Lakes, Ashley Rodriguez homered twice, as the sixth-seeded Rockets pulled off the upset in the Class 3A regional final, knocking off the third-seeded Eagles on their home field.

Richmond-Burton (15-10) will play No. 2 Grayslake Central (25-11) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in a semifinal of the Antioch sectional.

Lakes finished 21-13.