South rallies in all-star game
Following a rainout a week earlier, the Senior All-Star Game on Monday night celebrated its fifth straight year as host to the area's finest senior fastpitch softball talent at Jockey Field in Dundee, while also commemorating its inaugural year as the Dave Fehlman Memorial Game.
Former president of the Fox Valley Renegades, Fehlman passed away late last summer. His daughter Lissa, a former honorary captain of the Daily Herald All-Area team, played for both the Fox Valley Renegades and the Northern Illinois Lightning, which sponsored the event in conjunction with the Daily Herald.
Lissa is going into her senior year at Evansville University in Indiana and was slated to throw out the first pitch last week. With Lissa back at school, her mother, Mary, was in attendance to do the honors along with sons Chris and Robbie.
Following the first pitch, the North and South took the field. While the North was the first to score behind a 3-run second inning, it would be the South who walked away with a 6-5 victory.
With one out in the second inning, Kari Rankin (2 hits, 2 runs) would be the first to cross the plate for the North. Rankin (Prairie Ridge) singled, moved to third on a single by Hampshire's Paige Kent and scored on a wild pitch.
Kent moved to third and came in on a sacrifice fly by Hampshire teammate Jessica Kraus. Later, Katie Sharp (Marian Central), who reached on a dropped third strike, scored on a hit by Amanda Omiatek (Huntley).
Rankin would score another run in the fourth on a second sacrifice by Kraus to make it 4-0.
The South countered with a run in the bottom of the fourth behind a two-out rally. Streamwood's Barb Posinger singled, reached second on an error and scored on a single by Rebecca French of South Elgin to make it 4-1.
Following 2 walks in the bottom of the fifth, the South added 2 runs when Lake Park's Missy Mazur doubled to drive in Reggie Rizzo (Geneva) and Lynsey Ciezki (Lake Park) to cut the North lead to 4-3.
Lizzie Andrews (Jacobs) got one back for the North after walking, stealing second and scoring on a sacrifice from Omiatek in the sixth.
Entering the bottom of the sixth trailing 5-3, the South scored 3 runs before hanging on for the nine-inning victory.
Maggie Yagen (Kaneland) walked and moved to second when Bartlett's Concetta Lampugnano reached on an error. Larkin's Sarah McCleary reached on an error, knocking in Yagen, and Sophie Sterricker (Larkin) loaded the bases with a long single.
Victoria Perez (St. Charles East) hit an RBI single to score McCleary and Streamwood's Daniella Vida brought home Tegan O'Connor (South Elgin), the go-ahead run with a sacrifice. O'Conner had reached base on a fielder's choice.
Perez (2 IP, hit, strikeout), McCleary (2 IP, 2 strikeouts, 2 hits) and Lauren Wydra (Bartlett) combined to contain the North the remaining three innings. Wydra (4 IP, 4 strikeouts, 3 hits) earned MVP honors for the South Side.
"I was surprised to be named the team MVP," she said. "I wasn't expecting it.
"This whole experience was just a lot of fun. It was great to meet and play with girls that we've played against for four years."
Marian Central catcher Katie Sharp was selected MVP of the North Side after recording 2 hits and scoring a run.
"Katie did a great job behind the plate, and she also hit the ball well for us," North coach Jeremy Bauer said.
Sharp was just happy to be there.
"This was an amazing way to end my high school career," she said. "Getting MVP honors was very exciting, but it was just great to be asked to play. The girls were all amazing and such good teammates."
Sharing time in the circle for the North were Heather Gradishar (Marian Central), Erica Maisto (Burlington Central), McBride, Erin McGraw (St. Edward) and Jessica Gable (2 strikeouts) of Crystal Lake South.
"This was just an incredibly fun overall experience," Bauer said. "I got to coach some extremely talented girls, some of which I don't see all the time.
"There was just a showcase of talent here tonight."
South coach Jim Wolfsmith agreed.
"This was an awesome experience," he said. "It's so nice for the girls to come out and get one more chance to play with kids that they've seen over the past four years in a low-key situation where they come together as one.
"It is a worthwhile cause and time well spent."