Matsie's knock lifts Bartlett past South Elgin

Bartlett's Lisa Matsie just wanted to put the ball in play in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday. With the winning run on third base, that's all the junior needed to do.

Matsie singled up the middle with two outs to drive in Allyse Taormina to give the Hawks a 9-8 Upstate Eight Conference softball victory over South Elgin in Bartlett.

"I was nervous, but I was just trying to get the ball down on the ground because it was a bouncy infield today," Matsie said.

The run capped a rally from an 8-5 deficit for the Hawks (15-6, 9-2) and started with a one-out error, the Storm's fourth of the game, allowing Taormina to reach. Callie Dennison singled to put runners on first and second. After a flyout and a wild pitch that allowed Taormina and Dennison to move up a base, Matsie connected on her third single of the game.

"Lisa has been hitting the ball really well," Hawks coach Jim Wolfsmith said. "Lisa has been coming through. She had a game-winning hit in Ohio. She can deliver."

Bartlett trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third. Kaylan Zierke had a two-run single, Nicole Beck scored on a wild pitch and Lauren Chuchvara added a run-scoring single.

The Storm (8-11, 5-6) regained the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring five times. Caitlin Stredde singled in a run before Courtney Bosteder hammered a grand slam to left field. All 5 runs were unearned.

"Not the ideal conditions, but it's the same for both teams so it made it even more fun," South Elgin coach Jason Schaal said of the wind blowing out to left field. "We get the lead, they get the lead, we get the lead. It came down to something in the bottom of the seventh."

The Hawks rallied with 3 runs, also all unearned, in the bottom of the fourth. Beck hit a sacrifice fly to score Dennison and Chuchvara, who went 3-for-4, drove in a pair with a double down the left-field line to tie the game at 8-8.

Dennison and Sam Bolin both settled down in the circle, tossing scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth. Dennison (12-4) also held the Storm without a run in the seventh to set up the opportunity for the walk-off win.

"(Dennison) was hitting the inside pitch. Her screwball was working really well," said Matsie, who caught Dennison, of the final three innings. "We were hitting the spots and the corners and getting the calls."

Dennison allowed 5 hits and 8 runs, though only two were earned. The senior did not walk a batter, but did hit a batter, and struck out five.

Bolin (6-6) gave up 11 hits and 9 runs, only four earned. The sophomore walked three and struck out two.