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Softball: Glenbard South remains unbeaten in MSC Blue

Now that the calendar reads May, softball teams want to begin playing their best ball to prepare for the postseason.

Glenbard South has a nice track record of deep playoff runs and looks primed for another one this spring. The Raiders stayed perfect Monday at 10-0 in the Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division with an 11-2 defeat at IC Catholic Prep.

Glenbard South junior Daniella Little worked out of a first-inning jam and then relaxed a little after her team scored 2 runs in the second inning and then batted around while scoring 6 runs in the third inning.

"They're a really good team, so pitching against them you have to keep your mindset clear and focused," said Little, who allowed just one hit through four innings. "I felt pretty well and I had my defense behind me to keep me in it. It does make it a little easier (with a big lead). Everyone helps and they're all great."

Raiders coach Julie Fonda was happy to see her team play so well, both in the field and at the plate.

"This is when you want to start playing your best ball and this is what we work for," she said of her 14-3 squad, which had 12 hits in Elmhurst. "It doesn't necessarily matter what you do in March and April. But May matters. Now that we've turned the calendar, it's rock and roll time. In a couple weeks it's one and done. So that's kind of the mentality we've got to have."

For ICCP (20-3, 7-3), which lost a tight 5-4 game to Glenbard South last week, it was a rare off day. The Knights committed two costly errors in the Raiders' 6-run third inning, and another miscue helped the visitors tack on two more runs in the fifth.

"Lately we've kind of been having, you know, a good game, bad game defensively, and then today we start hitting late. Against a great team like that, getting down 8-0 … after that it's a 3-2 game," Knights coach Frank Reaber said. "It is what it is. (Fonda is) a great coach, and they do a great job. They came to play and we didn't the first four innings. It happens. It's a long season. It's the first game this year we've really been off."

Raiders leadoff hitter Mady Carli reached base four times with two walks and two hits, including a perfect bunt in the third inning to drive home a run. No. 9 hitter Elizabeth Cizek drove home the game's first two runs in the second, then added another 2-run hit in the third and a double in the fifth.

"It's nice to have hitters one through nine," said Carli, who also swiped a pair of bases. "Small ball works, and we're doing our job, but we want to keep improving. It's later in the season … so we want to play our game and do well."

The Knights finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Daniella Murillo's double to the wall in right center scored Tea Carpanzano and Kayla Faber-Cournane, who each had singled.

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