Softball: Winning finish as Barrington tops Marist

EAST PEORIA - With three straight losses here in the IHSA state finals, Barrington's seniors wanted to go out as winners in Saturday's Class 4A third-place softball game.

So they took matters into their own hands.

Or perhaps into their own bats is a better way to put it.

Senior Rachel Krzysko's two-out, 2-run single in the top of the seventh inning dramatically tied the game at 6-6.

Then, in the top of the ninth inning, senior Haley Luczak led off with single to left.

With two outs, her pinch runner, Samantha Murphy, scooted home on senior Carly Kordich's single to left between the shortstop and third baseman, and that proved to be the winning run in a 7-6 come-from-behind triumph over Marist at the Eastside Centre Sports Complex.

The Fillies finished at 37-4, tying the 2007 team which finished second in Class 4A for the best record in program history.

"When all that happened in the late innings, our only three seniors got it done," said coach Perry Peterson, whose team is bringing home the eighth state trophy in program history. "I'm really proud of those three seniors, as well as the whole team. But those three kids you've got to feel extra special for because they all got in done in their last high school game."

And sophomore Tori Meyer got it done in the longest pitching stint of her career.

Serving as a reliever the majority of the time this spring, she took relief duties to new heights on Saturday.

Meyer was called upon with nobody out in the first inning and her team trailing 2-0.

She finished the game, giving up just 1 earned run in 9 innings with 1 strikeout and 2 walks.

"We switched gears to Tori and she kind of got our team composed and we started to hit," Peterson said. "This was great because we hadn't won a game here since 2013 (when the Fillies took third place) and we had lost three in a row. That's kind of what I challenged our kids with - 'When is the team going to step up and go?' - and obviously in the first inning, give a lot of credit to Marist."

The Redhawks (25-10) started the game with five consecutive hits, including an RBI double by losing pitcher Angela Zedak (19-8), also a sophomore.

Meyer replaced Catherine McMahon (25-3) to face Jessica Balich, who drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0, Cassidy Rosynek followed with a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.

But Meyer (7-1) got the next batter on a fly out to Krzysko in left and a groundout to third baseman Kendall Peterson to minimize the damage.

"Tori did a great job," Perry Peterson said. "Tori, Catherine and Caroline (Hoppe, who is 5-0) have all worked together all year long and they understand their roles. They do what is asked of them. More than anyone, Catherine has been asked to pitch.

"But Tori knows her role. She's a really good left fielder, too, but she can pitch and get it done. She and Catherine have different styles but usually the same results. So they really work well together."

The Fillies slowly worked their way back into the game, cutting the lead in half in the top of their third.

After one out, junior Abbey Jacobsen (3-for-4), sophomore Leyden Atlas (2-for-5, 2 RBI), sophomore Kendall Peterson (2-for-5) and Meyer strung together base hits, with Meyer's safety driving home pinch runner Katherine Stagnito and Atlas to make it 4-2.

Marist tacked on another run in the third when Cassidy Rosynek singled home Cassie Lindmark with two outs for a 5-2 lead.

But the Fillies closed the deficit again in the top of the fourth.

Kordich (2-for-6, RBI) led off with a single before Krzysko and Jacobsen were each hit by pitches to load the bases. Atlas followed with a 2-run single to center to make it 5-4.

Marist edged ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second, Zedak's RBI doubled score Alexis Rogers but the second runner was cut down at the plate as center fielder Kordich hit shortstop Julia Kozar, who fired to Jacobsen.

That set things up for Krzysko's dramatic 2-run single to tie the game in the top of the seventh.

"It just felt real good because we needed that timely hit," said the Purdue-bound Krzysko. "We were on top of her (Zedak) for the whole game. We just needed some one to put the ball in play when we had runners in scoring position. I was just so happy because we were down to our last pitches in the last inning."

But Krzysko gave the Fillies the chance to go to extra innings, and that's where Luczak and Kordich got to produce their timely hits.

"This was a great way to end our season because Marist was supposed to be our first game of the season (but it was snowed out)," said Kordich, who will play at Winona State. "For it to be a win in our last game means a lot. We knew we wanted to come out stronger than we did here two years ago here. And getting that 37-4 record was our goal, too."

"I'm so overjoyed," said Luczak, who is headed to Tennessee to study accounting. "I wouldn't want to end this season with anyone but these girls. It's funny because Carly and I were talking last night how we have to come out strong today because we struggled last night against Chardonnay (Harris of Oak Park). We give her credit but today we had a different mindset because it was a different day, and different game.

"I'm so excited to see where these girls go next year. They're all very talented and I'm blessed to say I was part of this team this year."

A team that earned the program's fourth third-place trophy (2004, 2005, and 2013). It also has two seconds (2007, 2008) and two fourths (1993 and 2015), all under coach Perry Peterson. The eight state softball trophies are the most by any sports program at Barrington High School.

"Our coaches told us before the game there is a 100 percent different feeling getting third place instead of fourth," Krzysko said. "I think it's really special because we're one of only two teams in the state who finished with a win. I think that's really cool."

And it was pretty cool the seniors played such and instrumental role.

"All three of us have been working hard as vocal leaders, and by example," Krzysko. "So this was perfect. We all led by example with the timely hits. We just did what we know how to do. We strung together this and made it a perfect way to go out."

And Meyer was happy to give them a successful farewell.

"I'm tired but we pulled it out," said Meyer, who also had 2 RBI. "I am very proud of everyone. It was awesome. It's crazy but I just knew we could come back. Our hitting is amazing. I trust my team and I just threw strikes. I try to makes my coaches proud."

The coaches were indeed.

"The three seniors were most deserving of this," Perry Peterson said. "They did a great job and we'll be back next year and ready to go again. It will be exciting."