Elk Grove sweeps, as shutout streak hits 5

One day after clinching its eighth Mid-Suburban League East softball championship in nine years, Elk Grove looked like a champion again on Saturday in Tinley Park.

The Grenadiers ventured 50 minutes to the South suburbs and swept a nonconference doubleheader from Andrew 6-0 and 16-0.

Elk Grove has not given up a run in 33 innings and has posted five straight shutouts.

The first one on Saturday went to junior Krystina Leazer (10-1), who fired a 1-hitter with 7 strikeouts.

In Game 2, sophomore Stephanie Maday (18-3) was one strike away from a perfect game when losing pitcher Michelle Tramulato dropped a hit inside the right-field line with two outs in the bottom of the fifth (10-run rule).

Maday had 8 strikeouts.

"I wasn't sure what to expect from Andrew, but our kids played well," said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams, whose club improved to 28-4, five games shy of the single-season school record for victories set in 1982.

That team finished second in the state in Class AA with a 33-2 record.

Kayla Mahoney (2-for-3, 2 RBI, double), Brittany Tranchita (2-for-3, triple, RBI, run), Amber Hane (2-for-3) and Amanda Mertes (2-for-3, RBI) led the offense for Elk Grove in Game 1.

Olivia Roback (3-for-3, 3 runs, 3 RBI), Tranchita (2-run triple), Nikki Goranson (2-for-2, 3 RBI), Amy Charewicz (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Mertes (2-for-4, 2 runs), Stephanie Dolce (2-for-3, RBI) and Jessica Balzano (2-for-4, 3 runs, RBI) paced the offense in Game 2.

BG sweeps Stevenson: The Bison raised their record to 17-12 with 2-1 and 1-0 nonconference victories in Lincolnshire.

Freshman Maria Dax (5-5) threw a 5-hitter in the opener with 3 strikeouts and no walks.

Classmate Andrea DiPrima (2-for-4), junior Dayna George (double) and senior Stephanie Rudolfi (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI) led the offense.

Freshman Emily Begnel (4-1) notched the win in Game 2 with a 5-hitter and 3 strikeouts. Freshman K.C. Dunne went 2-for-3, and senior Katie Lee doubled for the Bison.

Wheeling sweeps Highland Park: The Wildcats won 4-0 in Game 1 behind a 3-hitter by Carly Speidel (6 strikeouts, no walks).

Speidel and Becky Menelle each tripled for the Wildcats (8-17), while Cheryl Bauer had a double and freshman Kayla Jordan collected 2 RBI.

Tori Mennele went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI and notched the 8-5 victory in Game 2. Annemarie Spiezia (3-for-4, 3 runs, RBI), Speidel (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Becky Menelle (2-for-3, RBI) and Kara Giordano (2-for-4 , run) backed Tori Menelle.

Hoffman Estates quad: Hoffman Estates (8-18-1) shut out Leyden 10-0 behind Kaitlin Walsh's 1-hitter and 12 strikeouts in the nonconference contest.

Colleen Roberts (3-for-4, double), Alex Wulbecker (3-for-4, triple), Natalie Miceli (2-for-4) and Kelsey Pellus (triple) led the Hawks' offense.

In other action, Downers Grove North stopped Hoffman 2-0. Natalie Miceli, who gave up 5 hits, went 2-for-3.

Rolling Meadows splits: After Rolling Meadows dropped the opener of a nonconference doubleheader 6-4 at Streamwood, Caitlin Adair (3-for-5, 3 RBI), Angela Mahanna (3-for-5, RBI), Bonnie Weglarz (3-for-5, 4 RBI) Connie Porters (2-for-4, RBI), Carissa Stewart (3-for-3, RBI) and Kelly Keyzer (2-for-4, 5 RBI) led the Mustangs' offense to a 19-8 victory in Game 2.

Stewart (7-12) earned the win in relief of Mahanna.

In the Game 1 loss, Adair (3-for-4), Mahanna (2-for-4) and Weglarz (3-for-4, 3 RBI) led the Meadows offense.

Freshman Kayla Mueller started the game for the Mustangs (10-14) but suffered an injury when she was hit on her throwing arm by a line drive in the fifth inning. Mahanna pitched the final 2 innings.

St Viator sweeps St. Joseph: Emily Catanese struck out five for a 5-2 win in Game 1 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. Julie Sweeney (4 strikeouts) picked up a save.

Tayler Lenart (double), Melanie Slawny, Danielle Sipiora (home run) and Bridget Urbanus each had 2 hits for the Lions. Lauren Banaszak had 2 RBI.

St. Viator won 12-1 in Game 2 as Slawny notched the win with 5 strikeouts. She also had 3 hits, including a double.

Emily Catanese (home run, triple, 4 RBI) and Sweeney (home run, 3 RBI) helped lead the way.

Teammate Torey Lenart had 2 hits and a double.