Warren baseball enjoys perfect trip downstate
Reid Johnson homered, and Sean Kennedy pitched 6 solid innings, as Warren defeated host Marion 7-4 last Thursday, making it 4 wins in as many games downstate for the Blue Devils (4-1).
Johnson finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, while Ryan Pyles went 2-for-4. Mike McCann doubled and drove in three runs, and Vince Viverito also had a double.
Kennedy allowed 3 runs in 6 innings, striking out seven and walking none, in improving to 2-1.
The previous day, Warren scored 9 runs in the top of the ninth to outlast host Goreville 13-4. Pat Walters paced the Blue Devils' 18-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with a home run, double and 3 RBI. Viverito, Chad Johnson and Pyles each contributed a pair of hits. Chad Johnson homered and knocked in three runs.
Tony Roberts tossed 2¿ innings in relief to notch the win.
Ryan Economos had a solo home run and single in Warren's 10-2 win over Murphysboro at Rent One Park in Marion last Tuesday.
Chad Johnson was 4-for-4 and Viverito went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI, as the Blue Devils pounded out 16 hits. Pyles was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Roberts went 5 innings, allowing no earned runs, to record the victory.
Warren began its trip with a 5-1 win over Herrin, as Chad Johnson (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI) and Pyles (1-for-3, 2 RBI) paced the offense. Kennedy got the victory, allowing no earned runs in 5 innings. Chad Johnson pitched 2 no-hit innings for the save.
Girls soccer
Jackie Drees scored 5 goals and Julie Fredian had 2 shutouts as Hersey (3-0-1) beat Niles North 3-0 and South Elgin 6-0 in the St. Viator tournament.
Drees scored all the goals against Niles North.
St. Viator (3-0-1) played a scoreless tie with Benet and beat Lake Zurich 1-0 on Taylor Skala's first-half goal. Mary-Kate Supplitt had 8 saves against Benet and four in splitting the shutout with Stephanie Shanahan against Lake Zurich.
Badminton
Fremd's badminton team set three goals before the season got underway:
1. Repeat as Mid-Suburban League champion.
2. Win its seventh sectional title in a row.
3. Qualify again for the state meet where the Vikings hope to repeat as champions.
But there are other goals.
With a number of newcomers up and down their roster, the Vikings look forward to invitationals and quad meets for other reasons.
"Every time you step on the court, you have a chance to win," said Vikings' coach Bob Hanson, whose team placed second with 27 points at the Schaumburg Saxon Invitational, 9 behind tournament champion Hinsdale South. "We take each invitational as a learning process."
Right behind Fremd was Buffalo Grove with 24 points.
Femd's Jenna Langhorst finished second, her only loss coming to Hinsdale's Kirsten Jason. And Langhorst completed that feat after feeling ill all week.
"I kind of felt sick over break," said Langhorst, who before Saturday had won two individual titles and one quad title. "I was just being real competitive, I guess. I just tried to play through it."
Langhorst's toughest match?
"Hinsdale South was really tough," she said. "I did manage to split. She was really strong and she was a lot bigger than me so she had a really good smash. I tried to drop her. That worked well. I figured it out in the third game."
Leading the way for the Bison were their doubles teams.
At first doubles, Katie Meyers and Nicole Wodka placed second. Things were even better at second and third doubles, which BG won.
"I really have five incredible doubles teams," said BG coach Chris Van Grondelle. "Only three get to play (in invitationals). In practice they're always beating each other up.
"We're still coming on singles-wise. I was really happy with Jessie Garrity (at second singles). She won a couple of matches today and won some at our place."
-- Kathy Rudolph
Bowling
Hoffman Estates senior Natalie Cortese was one of four bowlers Saturday to advance to the finals of the 2008 Denny's All-American High School Championships.
Cortese and Samantha Santoro of Reinholds, Pa., advanced to the television finals, which will be taped today after the conclusion of the U.S. Open at Brunswick Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, N.J.
Cortese went 6-2 in round-robin match play and rolled a 256 in her final game. Santoro also went 6-2 in match play.
The winner receives a $3,000 scholarship and the second-place finisher gets a $2,000 scholarship.
The boys and girls winners also get to compete with Professional Bowlers Association players Kelly Kulick and Tony Reyes in a doubles match to close the telecast, which is scheduled to air at noon on April 6 on ESPN.
The Denny's All-American High School Championships showcase 32 varsity high school athletes from 18 states.