Hilltoppers find a leadoff hitter

Glenbard West second baseman Christy Boeneman had not led off in the lineup this season prior to Saturday's nonconference doubleheader at Waubonsie Valley.

Following her performance in a dominating doubleheader sweep for the Hilltoppers, she may find herself in that spot a little bit more often.

Boeneman had 4 hits, including 3 doubles, and 4 runs scored in a 14-4, six-inning, win in Game 1. She followed that with 4 more hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI in a 12-2, Game 2 win.

"I explained to the girls that I will mix it up to find a lineup that works for us," first-year Glenbard West coach Mary McGrane said. "We did return 13 of 16 players this year. They all know each other. It's more a matter of me getting to know them."

After pounding Waubonsie in six innings in Game 1, Melissa Noland continued to smoke the ball for Glenbard West (4-1) in Game 2. Noland had 4 hits in Game 1, including 3 triples. She then started Game 2 off with a 2-run single in the first inning. That was part of a 4-run first to give the Hilltoppers a lead they would not relinquish.

"We've been hitting well, but we really lit it up today," Boeneman said. "I expected this kind of production. We just have to keep hitting well as a team."

Glenbard West added 2 more runs in the third to help starting pitcher Cassie Goggin (2-0). She did not allow a hit to Waubonsie Valley (1-3) until Jess Lobraco's leadoff single in the fourth inning. Waubonsie's 2 runs came in the sixth. Goggin allowed 5 hits, struck out eight and walked four.

Lauren Albrecht also improved to 2-0 with the Game 1 win, as the Hilltoppers work to figure out a No. 1 starter before the start of conference play on April 14. She struck out six and walked two. All four of the Warriors' runs came across in the third inning.

"All I asked them to do was throw strikes," McGrane said.

While the Hilltoppers appear to be rounding into form in the early going, Waubonsie is struggling with youth and injuries and has not hit its stride. With two starters out, not only were the Warriors young Saturday, a handful of players were out of position.

"It's important that we learn from our losses, and we're not doing that right now," Waubonsie Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. "We're young and we've got some players out of position, but that's no excuse. These problems have been ongoing."

Unlike Glenbard West, which still has more than a week before conference play begins, the Warriors do not have that luxury. They have already begun Upstate Eight Conference play and have a pretty full slate the rest of the month, which will limit the amount of time Kalivas will be able to teach her developing squad.

-- Paul Johnson

St. Charles North 4-2, Glenbard East 3-1: The games in the doubleheader between the St. Charles North and Glenbard East softball teams were eerily similar.

Both games were pitchers' duels, and neither team scored until the sixth inning in each game. The Rams scored first both times, only to have the North Stars rally back from behind and win.

At the end of the day, the North Stars won both outings by scores of 4-3 and 2-1 in St. Charles and improved to 3-0 overall.

"For (our second and third games out) this year, I am not upset by anything that went on today," St. Charles North coach April Stary said. I'm pretty pleased they managed to come back because last year, that seemed to be a problem."

"It's really good to know our team can come together like that," St. Charles North's Christine Roggemann added. "It's good to have a 3-0 start this year and start the season on a strong note."

The first pitchers' duel began with Glenbard East's Abby Petersdorf and St. Charles North's Amanda Engel, who was making her varsity debut on the mound in Game 1. The sophomore finished with 12 strikeouts and allowed 5 hits. The Rams' ace didn't allow any walks and gave up just a pair of hits through 5 innings.

"She is very focused," Stary said of Engel. "She's got a bunch of pitches where if they are working, they are working."

The Rams reached base 4 times through the first five innings but didn't score until the 3-run, 3-hit sixth inning, led by RBI from Alyssa Gianatasio, Brittany Cardott and Petersdorf.

The North Stars, however, produced a similar sixth inning, with 3 runs and 3 hits as well and RBI from Taylor Russell, Kristin Damm and Natalie Capone.

Capone was also responsible for the game-winning RBI, as her single with 2 outs drove in the winning run in the seventh inning. She finished the day with 3 hits.

The offense stalled for both teams again in Game 2 until Glenbard East (1-5-1) scratched a run across in the sixth after an RBI from Nikki Fairbairn.

Megan Shannon started the game on the mound for the Rams, but after allowing 3 hits and 3 walks, Petersdorf was called in relief at the start of the sixth inning.

As a result, the North Stars scored 2 runs and tallied 3 hits, including the clutch 2 RBI single from Roggemann. That was her second hit of the day.

"You play a whole great game of defense, and then you have that one bad inning, and that's it, both games," Glenbard East coach Valerie Pinzker said. "But it's still early in the season."

St. Charles North starter Amanda Ciran made her first varsity start of the season and earned the win after allowing 5 hits, 2 walks and fanning 6 batters.

-- Christine Bolin