Keyzer, Rolling Meadows in just the right spot

Kelly Keyzer took the keys for a new spot in the batting order this spring.

The Rolling Meadows catcher was locked in as the Mustangs’ leadoff hitter most of last season.

“I think I put too much pressure on myself there,” the senior said. “Now, I think I’ve found my place in the order.”

Her place is now No. 2, the same spot where the Mustangs find themselves in the Mid-Suburban League East Division behind state powerhouse Elk Grove.

With Thursday’s 9-4 triumph at Buffalo Grove, Rolling Meadows improved to 13-9 and 6-4, 3 games behind Elk Grove (18-3, 9-1).

Keyzer helped sparked the win by going 2-for-3 with a beautiful suicide squeeze bunt that brought home Ellie Morgan with the first of 4 runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Keyzer also doubled and scored in the third inning, and she caught for winning sophomore pitcher Sara Brunlieb, who improved to 11-5 with 2 strikeouts.

“Sara did a nice job hitting her spots,” Keyzer said. “We had a little slump in our tournament last week (0-2) but we’ve come back and had a pretty good week.”

The Mustangs have wins over Barrington, Hoffman Estates and BG this week.

“We are just looking to our next game now,” said Mustangs coach Tony Wolanski. “We’ve got BG again (today at 4:30 p.m. at Meadows). They have two very good hitters. You hope they don’t hit the ball out of the park on you.”

Wolanski was talking about Division I recruits KC Dunne (3-for-4, double) and Andrea DiPrima (2-for-4).

Back-to-back doubles by DiPrima and Emily Begnel gave BG a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

But Abby Matayka’s two-out, 2-run single in the top of the second tied the game.

“We’ve been getting some big hits and that was a big one by Abby,” Wolanski said. “We were putting the ball in play and executing. Josie (Suchecki) hit the ball hard.”

Suchecki went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.

Even the junior second baseman’s only out was a hard liner caught by Bison left fielder Danielle Browne.

Natalie Cannizzo’s sacrifice fly in the fifth gave Meadows a 3-2 lead before BG tied it at 3-3 when Jessie Lazzara tripled home catcher Danni Shapiro.

Shapiro had one of the game’s defensive highlights when she dove to grab a pop foul for the first out of the fifth inning.

Meadows got the lead for good in the top of the fourth by taking advantage of 3 walks and groundouts by Matayka and Chloe Prodanovic.

Erin Barton and Browne also had hits for BG (10-11, 3-7).

“We just can’t string the hits together,” said BG coach Jamie Paul, who used starter Megan Fu, Ashley Conley and Maria Dax on the mound. “It seems like teams will have big innings against us but we can’t do that against them.

“We are struggling now and everyone feels it. We are trying to snap out of it.”