Barrington 4, Elk Grove 2
The softball queens of the Mid-Suburban League just won't surrender the throne.
For an unprecedented sixth straight year, Barrington won the MSL crown with a 4-2 triumph over visiting Elk Grove on Monday at the Fields of Dreams.
The league's royalty scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a 2-2 tie, and junior ace Kim Cygan (24-6) finished a 6-hitter in the top of the seventh.
It gave the Fillies (25-6) the title for the ninth time since the league began in 1974.
"We wanted to live up to the expectations," said Fillies senior second baseman Jessica McGurn, who watched her older sisters play for a few of the past championship squads. "I was just so happy how our team reacted to this game and pulled it out."
Both coaches agreed it was not one of the best-played games (5 errors), but it was entertaining for the fans right down to the final pitch.
"That's what championship games are sometimes," said Peterson, who has guided the Fillies to all but two of their nine MSL crowns.
"Sometimes it's lot of emotions, lots of challenges. It was a great game back and forth. It wasn't well played, but if you were a spectator, I think you enjoyed it because it had a little of everything."
It had some splendid hitting by McGurn, who went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles.
"Jessica is just on fire," Peterson said. "She had a tremendous conference season (.365 average)."
Elk Grove (29-5) jumped ahead in the first on Stephanie Dolce's one-out single to left. It brought home freshman Jessica Balzano, who reached on an error to start the inning.
The Grenadiers still had runners on second and third following Dolce's RBI, but Cygan escaped with a popout to first baseman Kiersten Tinkoff and a strikeout.
"We had opportunities," said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams. "We left multiple runners on base a few times. You have to take advantage of those situations."
McGurn's first double to left-center tied the game 1-1 as she drove home Devinne Wapotish in the bottom of the fourth.
The Grenadiers prevented another run in the inning when sophomore pitcher Stephanie Maday (18-4) fielded a bunt and flipped to catcher Nikki Goranson for a putout at the plate.
Elk Grove grabbed the lead again in the fifth when Amy Charewicz led off with single to right.
After Cygan recorded a strikeout, the Fillies committed 2 errors on Balzano's grounder (1 in the infield and another in the outfield), which allowed Charewicz to race home from first.
Barrington answered in the bottom of the fifth when No. 9 hitter Lindsey Dulla (2-for-3) led off with a single to center and came home on Wapotish's two-out single to right.
The Fillies secured the win with 2 runs in the sixth.
Cygan drew a walk and McGurn singled to center.
Tinkoff delivered a one-out single to left, producing her team's game-winning RBI for the third straight time after going 0-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
"I'm really proud of Kiersten," Peterson said of the freshman. "We have asked a lot of her in a short time and she has really picked things up."
Grams brought Krystina Leazer (11-1) in to pitch after Tinkoff's single.
Dulla singled to right for an insurance run before the junior right-hander retired the next two batters on a grounder to third baseman Kayla Mahoney and a popout to Mahoney.
Cygan played third base in this game a year ago when Claire Voris notched the 1-0 shutout over Prospect.
"There's more pressure pitching and I like that," Cygan said. "I learned a lot from Claire. The biggest thing I learned is to keep your composure when things get rough."
Fillies shortstop Michal Jane Maropis helped out Cygan in the sixth when she threw a Grenadier out trying to score from third on Brittany Tranchita's groundball. Wapotish made the tag.
"It was just two great programs battling back and forth," Peterson added. "I'm just thankful we were able to pull it out.
"I give Kim a lot of credit. She had the flu Wednesday and stay home all day. I told her to let me know about playing (in Thursday's game). This is her life. She is an unbelievable academic student but she loves softball , too."