Elk Grove puts Grams in line for milestone

Just call these Elk Grove Grenadiers in a zone.

And their coach - Ken Grams - is about to enter a zone reached by only one other person in IHSA softball history.

Elk Grove erupted for 15 hits at Conant on Monday and stopped a solid Cougars club 15-2 in five innings in the Mid-Suburban League crossover.

"We've been on a little run," said Grams, who has been on a terrific run in his 30-year coaching career. "We've had four super offensive games in a row now. The kids just believe they can get it done, and what a difference that makes."

What a difference Grams has made for Elk Grove softball. Since he began in the 1980-81 season with co-coach Doug Millstone, he has won 699 games.

He tries for No. 700 today when the Grens (22-2, 10-0) host Maine West (11-12) at 4:30 p.m.

Only St. Joseph-Ogden Randy Wolken, who started the season with 752 wins, has more than Grams.

No one has in the MSL has more home runs than Elk Grove (25) this season.

But the Grens didn't need the longball Monday as every player in the starting lineup had at least 1 hit, including No. 5 batter Megan Keegan, who went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI.

Leadoff batter Jessica Balzano, who has hit safely in all 24 games this spring, Olivia Roback, Krista Soesbe and Stephanie Maday each went 2-for-4.

"We are just playing at a high level in all facets of the game," Grams said. "The kids are going up there (batter's box) believing. That's what we've been preaching to them, and they're doing it."

The Grens are doing it on the mound, too.

Senior Stephanie Maday (7-1) worked the first four innings for the win and Goranson (15-1) handled the fifth.

Maday got her first seven outs on strikeouts and had a no-hitter until Amanda Van Jacobs singled to left as the second batter in the bottom of the fourth.

"It's great when the hitters can step up and get hits like we were," Maday said. "You feel more comfortable when your hitters keep scoring you runs."

Maday gave up only 1 hit in 4 innings.

"I was just thinking of staying ahead of the batters," she said. "That's what we talked about."

Paige Ward added an infield hit for the Cougars (17-6, 5-5) in the fifth inning while pitcher Briana Cavin (9-6) had a 2-run single to left with two outs.

"Briana pitched an outstanding game," said Conatn coach Cathy Ann Smith. "She put the ball where it needed to be. Unfortunately, we didn't field behind her.

"Elk Grove is an outstanding hitting team and our problem was we made too many errors (6) which will hurt you when they're getting hits, too."

Elk Grove's big inning was the fourth when it scored 9 runs. Balzano and Becca Walz had the Grens' two extra-base hits in that inning with doubles.

"Elk Grove is an outstanding program," Smith added "The last six years we've usually had 1- or 2-run games with them. They have two very good pitchers. Unfortunately, we did not come ready for them."

Schaumburg 10, Wheeling 1: Host Schaumburg (14-6, 7-3) received a 4-hitter from Alyssa Lancaster (13-6), who went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Other top hitters for the Saxons were Aly Poehlmann (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Becca Thompson (2-for-4), Courtny Raschk (2-for-4) and Shannon Giovannone (2-for-2).

Tori Menelle took the loss for Wheeling (4-14, 1-9).

Palatine 8, Rolling Meadows 2: Joanne Jablonski, who belted a 2-run homer, Alyx Ballenger, Sam Salomone and Meaghan Deegan (triple) each went 2-for-4 for the visiting Pirates (16-10, 6-4).

Senior Chrissy Roto (8-8) struck out eight for the win.

Junior Emily Skorin belted her first career homer for Meadows.

Abby Matayka was 2-for-3 for the Mustangs (11-10, 1-9) while freshman teammate Emily Hattory doubled.

Prospect 18, Hoffman Estates 6 (5 inn.): Nicole Naranjo went 5-for-5 with 3 RBI and Kaila Walter was 4-for-4 for visiting Prospect (9-11, 7-3).

Allison Malewig (2-for-3), Michelle Molini (2-for-4) and Cassie Poulos (4 RBI) were other offensive leaders for the Knights, who received an 8-hitter from Sam Mangrum (6-5).

Amanda Harris and Linden Fick each went 2-for-3 and Emily Fett doubled for the Hawks (3-15, 2-8). Sophomore Elaine Lord (1-2) took the loss.

Fremd 6, Hersey 0: Senior Lena Brottman (17-2) struck out 11 and tossed a 1-hitter for MSL West leader and host Fremd (19-2, 9-1).

Senior Lauren Zaworski homered to left-center to lead off the fourth and Tess Dinterman blasted a homer to lead off the next inning.

Kelly Voigt and Alexa Cinquegrani went 2-for-3 and Brittany Ciura doubled for Fremd.

Alyssa Kieffer had the only hit for Hersey (6-18, 2-8), a two-out single in the fourth inning as Brottman retired 21 of the 24 batters she faced.

Barrington 3, Buffalo Grove 2: A 3-run fifth inning proved to be enough for junior Kiley Dolezal (21-4) and the Fillies (23-4, 7-3).

Kiersten Tinkoff belted a 2-run, one-out double to right to score Liz Owen and Carolyn Dacunha and Nora Logue added an RBI single to right to bring home Tinkoff for the 3-0 lead.

BG had runners on second and third with no outs to start the seventh. Megan Fu's sacrifice fly made it 3-2 and BG had a runner on third with one out.

But Dolezal recorded her sixth and final strikeout, and then got the last batter on liner to second baseman Colleen Shandley to end the game.

Kristin Kuhn went 2-for-4 for the Fillies while Danielle Browne was 2-for-3 for BG.

Maria Dax (8-7) struck out eight for the Bison (14-13, 2-8).

Maine West 11, Maine East 1 (6 inn.): Freshman Ariel Valles struck out seven with a 4-hitter for the host Warriors (11-12, 5-1) and the freshman also blasted her first career homer, a 2-run shot to left in the first inning of the Central Suburban North contest.

Other offensive leaders for West were Alyssa Bojarski (2-for-3, 2 runs), Katie Fitzgerald (3-for-4, double, 3 runs, 2 RBI) and Nicole Mavraganis (2-for-4, 3 RBI).

Fitzgerald's homer was a 2-run blast

Leyden 10, Morton 0: Morgan Maize (12-3) struck out 14 and threw a 4-hitter for the visiting Eagles (18-6, 5-1) in the West Suburban Gold.

Christina Morgan (3-for-5, 3 runs), Amanda Moran (3-for-4, 3 runs), April Markowski (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Maize (3-for-4, 2 RBI, double), Dana Sullivan (2-for-4, 2 RBI, double) and Dana Thomas (2-for-5, 2 RBI) led the Eagles' offense.

St. Viator 3, Carmel 2: St. Viator (15-7) scored 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth and the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Julie Sweeney (11-4) earned the East Suburban Catholic Conference win with 4 strikeouts.

Carmel was threatening to score a second run in the first inning when Alex Flasch took a throw at second base to cut down the runner stealing. On the throw, the runner on third tried to score. Flasch's perfect throw to catcher Tayler Lenart foot the runner at the plate.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Abby Dickey and Bridget Urbanus each singled with one out.

Flasch advanced the runners with a single and Amanda Presslak's single to center scored Dickey and Urbanus for the 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Carmel homered on the first pitch of the seventh or a 2-2 tie.

In the bottom of the inning, Dickey led off with a walk. Urbanus lofted a single to left and Sweeney came up and hit a single to center to bring home the winning run.