Paul, DiPrima relish Buffalo Grove win

Jamie Paul began her first season as the Buffalo Grove softball coach on Tuesday.

Andrea DiPrima began her last season as a Bison softball player.

Neither will have a problem remembering the season opener on the Bison home diamond.

DiPrima, a four-year starter who has committed to Northwestern, went 4-for-4 including the game-winning RBI and 2 doubles as the Bison rallied for a 6-2 triumph over visiting Glenbrook South (0-1) to give Paul her first career win.

“She’s going to have a big year,” Paul said of DiPrima. “She has nothing to worry about her future now. She just gets to relax and have some fun.”

The Bison started having some fun when they wiped out the Titans’ 2-0 lead with 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Junior Sara Penelle’s double tied the game at 2-2 before DiPrima’s single gave BG the go-ahead run.

“Sara’s hit was awesome, it really got us going,” DiPrima said. “Everyone contributed on offense in some way. It’s really exciting to start out like this. I can’t say enough about our whole team and how we pulled together.”

Senior Maria Dax threw a 2-hitter with 8 strikeouts to notch the win.

“It’s good to get the first win,” Dax said. “I was a little concerned when we weren’t scoring early but once we got going, we were fine. Getting the leads always makes it easier to pitch.”

Amanda Salzman, Erin Barton (double) and Western Illinois-bound senior KC Dunne (1-for-2, sacrifice) also had hits for the Bison.

“It was a good way to start the season,” said Paul, who played college softball at Eastern Illinois and was the BG assistant last season. “It was a great effort by Maria. She was a little concerned about the cold weather (below 40 degrees) but once she got out there and started throwing, it was not a factor.”

Palatine 5, Prairie Ridge 1: A knee injury kept Alexis Bauer sidelined for all but the final few weeks of her junior season.

But Bauer wasted little time making an impact for her senior campaign.

The Pirates’ left fielder belted the game-winning RBI (2-run double) over the right fielder’s head in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Pirates added 3 more run in the fifth to help senior left-hander Dani Boisvert notch the win with a 4-hitter in Palatine’s season opener.

Senior second baseman Katie Scovic went 2-for-3 for the host Pirates while sophomore third baseman Tori Walzak tripled in her varsity debut.

The Pirates infield, which features four-year starter Katie Mnichowicz at short, three-year starter Scovic at second and two-year starter Lauren Logan at first, turned two double plays.

“We played good defense,” said Pirates coach Jeff Manz. “What a great combo Mnichowicz and Scovic make up in the middle. They just know each other so well from playing together so long.”

Barrington 3, Zion Benton 2: Barrington advanced to the championship game of its own eight-team Spring Fling by rallying for 2 runs in the top of the sixth for the 3-2 advantage.

The Fillies (2-0) will face Warren (2-0) in today’s 4:30 p.m. championship.

Barrington took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when senior Colleen Shandley singled home sophomore Tess Bolger with two outs.

The Zee-Bees went ahead with 2 runs in the fourth before Barrington scored twice in the top of the sixth.

Kelsey Kazmier led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Loren Krzysko.

Kiersten Tinkoff singled, sending Kazmier to third.

Pinch running for Tinkoff, Ally McLaughlin stole second to give the Fillies runners on second and third.

Senior slugger Elizabeth Owen then delivered the game-winning one-out double that missed going over the center field fence by inches.

Fillies ace Kiley Dolezal (2-0) struck out eight and walked one while Zee-Bees hurler Janika May recorded 10 strikeouts with 2 walks.

Hersey 17, Deerfield 2 (5 innings): Hersey brought its bats to the Fields of Dreams for second-day action of the Spring Fling and pounded out 17 runs and 11 hits in five innings.

Haley Henriksen (3-for-4, 2 doubles, triple), Alex Tinaglia (2-for-4) and Mallory Eichhorn (2-for-2, 2 doubles, walk) led the Huskies’ offense while sophomore pitcher Sarah Platt (1-0) earned the win.

Platt went three innings, striking out three. Junior Morgan Palmer threw the final two innings for Hersey and recorded 1 strikeout.

Hersey (1-1) will face Lake Zurich (1-1) for fifth place today at 4:30 p.m.

Lake Zurich 4, Maine West 0: Maine West’s only hit was a single in the top of the seventh inning. The Warriors (0-2) will face Deerfield (0-2) for seventh place today in the Spring Fling.