Prospect bats are booming
Prospect senior Amanda Mlikan said the 2 1/2 weeks of preseason practice were very beneficial for the Knights softball team.
"After last season (7-24), we just put everything behind us," she said. "We've been focusing on clicking as a team. We graduated a few seniors and have some new varsity girls. But all of a sudden at practice something just clicked. Everything just fell in place. Our chemistry boomed."
The Knights' bats were booming in their season opener as they collected 15 hits and posted a 12-3 victory over visiting Vernon Hills in six innings on Friday.
"Our team has had such great chemistry since Day one," said junior Nikki Surico, who went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. "We have been working real hard the last three weeks so it's nice to see it pay off."
Mlikan (2-for-4, RBI) and Surico are tri-captains along with junior pitcher Sam Mangrum, who notched the win by striking out seven and walking one.
"Sam did a nice job on the mound," said Knights coach Brenda Martin. "She has matured a lot and she was ready to go."
Other multiple hitters for the Knights were junior Nichole Naranjo (3-for-3) and Mary Styzek (2-for-4). Freshman Michelle Molini had a pair of RBI.
"We've worked a lot on hitting," Surico said. "I thought our lineup hit great this game."
The Cougars (1-1) scored their runs in the third and fifth innings.
Rebecca Feld had a fielder's choice RBI in the third while Emily Evanson collected an RBI single in the fifth.
"We made too many mistakes on defense in the third inning (Prospect scored 7 runs)," said Cougars coach Paul Weber, who started Jennifer Claussen and brought in Sara Doerhoefer and Megan Meline as relievers. "Prospect hit the ball real well and we played poorly."
"We need to play better defense," Doerhoefer said. "We just didn't have a good game. We got down and weren't able to come back. We've got to learn from this."
Conant 13, Resurrection 5: Host Conant sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning for a 7-0 lead and never looked back in winning its season opener behind sophomore Briana Cavin's 4-hitter with 11 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Cavin also started the first inning rally with a leadoff triple, followed by Allie Bauch's 2-run homer.
Sophomore Miranda Cavin then doubled and later came home on Kim Jacobson's sacrifice fly.
Briana Cavin drove in the Cougars' seventh run of the inning with her second extra-base hit of the inning, a double.
"We just started hitting the ball right away," said Cougars assistant coach Kelly Wolff.
Resurrection got 3 runs in the top of third but Conant answered with 5 in the bottom half of the inning.
"Instead of hanging their heads when Resurrection hit 2 homers that inning and got 3 runs, the girls came back and scored 5 more," Wolff said. "It was an excellent game for us. We can't complain."
Top hitters for the Cougars were Miranda Cavin (2-for-4, home run, 3 RBI), Briana Cavin (3-for-4, 4 RBI, 2 doubles, triple), Bauch (3-for-4, 3 RBI, home run) and Hilary O'Donnell (2-for-4, double).
Amanda VanJacobs also doubled for the winners.
Buffalo Grove 2, Cary-Grove 0: Visiting Buffalo Grove improved to 2-0 as junior pitcher Andrea DiPrima (1-0) fired a 1-hitter and tripled for the Bison.