Softball: Brown keeps bashing as Grayslake North rolls
Grace Brown hit 3 more home runs, and Grayslake North stayed hot by beating host Grant 9-4 in a Northern Lake County Conference showdown in Fox Lake on Thursday.
It was the 10th straight win for the Knights (15-7, 7-3). Brown went 4-for-4 and drove in 6 runs. Her trio of homers gave her 16 on the season.
"They were all no-doubt shots," Grayslake North coach Lea Corcoran said.
Faith Standerski, Ashton Moore and Caitlin Barenbaum (2 doubles) added 2 hits apiece for the Knights. Meghan Delahunty, Jessica Pozezinski (stolen base) and Nina Wittig all had singles. Evan Garrett pitched a "phenomenal" game, Corcoran said, giving up 4 earned runs, scatting 12 hits to go along with 3 strikeouts.
"She came up clutch when she needed to and showed a lot of mental toughness working out of some jams against a good offense in Grant," Corcoran said.
Grant (18-7, 8-2) was led offensively by Megan Chapman with 3 hits (double, RBI). Erin Bengston (double), Ivy Clark (RBI) and Megan Mitchell (RBI) added 2 hits apiece for the Bulldogs. Calista Warmowski, Sydney Goessele and Madeline Quinn all had singles. Liz Schram added an RBI.
Antioch 8, Lakes 7 (8 inn.): Abby Pyburn's bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Sequoits to a come-from-behind win against their district rival in the Northern Lake County game.
Antioch (17-6, 9-2) trailed 6-0 after two innings and was down 7-0, before tying the score with 7 runs in the sixth. The score remained tied until the slap-hitting Pyburn singled up the middle in extra innings.
Pyburn finished 3-for-5 to lead a 12-hit attack. Kaylee Schreiner (2-for-4), Megan Lawrence (double, 2 RBI) and Piper Foote (2-for-3, 2 stolen bases) also had multiple hits for Antioch. Avery Malicki had a double, as the Sequoits won for the 17th time in their last 19 games.
Lakes (14-7, 8-3) got home runs from Molly Dietz (2-for-2, 2 RBI) and Camryn Jones (3 RBI). Rachel Becker was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, Kelsey Ulrich went 2-for-5 with a double, and Georgia Ohren had a double.
Round Lake 7, Wauconda 2: Lilly Larson was 3-for-4 with a homer and 5 RBI, and the visiting Panthers picked up a win in Northern Lake County action.
Brianna Negrete McGinley was 3-for-5 with a double for Round Lake, and Sydney Verastegui went 2-for-4 with a double. Charla Ryan and Emily Etherington also had doubles for the Panthers, and freshman Michelle Lauritzen allowed just 1 earned run in a complete-game effort.
Wauconda got 2 hits apiece from Julia Fohlmeister and Sydney Rodgers. Rhiannon Himmelmann had a double for the Bulldogs.
Vernon Hills 11, Deerfield 5: Delaney Bowen homered twice and scored three times for the Cougars in their Central Suburban North win.
Nicole Pieper also hit a home run and singled for Vernon Hills (12-13, 9-1). Elisa Handler doubled, tripled and drove in 3 runs, and Quin Yuter had a pair of doubles. Madison Johnson went the distance in the circle for the Cougars, allowing 1 earned run and striking out six.