Elk Grove, Conant earn nonconference sweeps

Elk Grove improved to 21-3 on Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Kaneland 10-0 and 11-1.

Both games ended in 5 innings by the 10-run rule.

Junior ace Dani Goranson (19-3) threw a 3-hitter with 9 strikeouts in Game 1 and went 2-for-4 with 2 runs.

Grens junior Megan Keegan (3-for-3, 3 RBI) belted her team-high seventh homer run while classmates Andrea Starr (double) and Tori Liewergen each went 2-for-3.

Senior Jessica Balzano scored on a wild pitch for the game-ending run.

Starr (2-0) tossed a 2-hitter with 3 strikeouts in Game 2 as senior Katie Keegan belted her first homer of the season, a 3-run blast in the Grens’ 9-run third inning.

Liewergen (3-for-4), Krista Soesbe (2-for-3), Carly Danek and Becca Maher each doubled. Megan Keegan was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI while Devan Parkison also went 2-for-3.

Conant sweeps Niles West: Junior Kailee Pasbrig (2-0) threw a 7-hitter with 7 strikeouts as host Conant (20-1) won the opener 17-5 in five innings.

Kim Jacobson (3-for-4, double, 5 RBI) belted back-to back homers in the third and fourth innings.

Paige Ward (3-for-4, double, 3 RBI), Sara Pawlik (3-for-4), Pasbrig (2-for-3), Miranda Cavin (2-for-4, 3 RBI), and Allie Bauch (2-for-4, 4 RBI) also sparked the Cougars’ offense.

In Game 2, junior Briana Cavin (17-1) struck out four in five innings as Conant won 10-0 in six innings.

Shannon O’Conner pitched the sixth inning and recorded a strikeout.

Hilary O’Donnell (2-for-4, double), Miranda Cavin (4-for-4, triple, 4 RBI), Jacobson (3-for-4, home run, RBI) and Ward (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led the offense.

Ward ended the game with an RBI single.

For the day, Jacobson was 6-for-8 with 6 RBI, 3 homers and a double.

Meadows, South Elgin split: South Elgin won 5-0 in Game 1 before Meadows sophomore Sara Brunlieb (7 strikeouts) came back with a 7-hitter in a 5-4 win in Game 2.

Sophomore Hannah Whidden (2-for-2) had the game-winning RBI double to right in the bottom of the fifth.

For the day, Whidden was 3-for-4.

San Anderson (2-for-4, double), Josie Suchecki (3-for-4) and Brunlieb (double) also sparked the offense for host Meadows (14-11) in Game 2.

Palatine 11, Warren 4: Katie Mnichowicz (2-for-4), Tori Walzak (2-for-4), Lauren Logan (2-for-4, 2 doubles) and Kaliegh Moertl (1-for-3, triple) led the offense for host Palatine (18-6).

Lauren Hedstrom (4-1) notched the win.

Geneva sweeps Maine West: The visiting Warriors (13-9) outhit the Vikings by a combined 31-19 in their two nonconference games but ended up dropping both contests by the same 8-7 score.

Geneva rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning with the help of some shaky Maine West defense as Ariel Valles suffered the loss.

Katie Fitzgerald doubled twice for Maine West, which had 16 hits.

In Game 2, the Warriors scored twice in the top of the seventh but came up 1 run short of tying the game.

Holly Wengerski, Gina Larucci and Angela Cruz doubled for Maine West.

The big hitters for Maine West for the day were Wengerski (6-for-9), Larucci (6-8), Fitzgerald (6-8), Caroline Baird (3-3) and Cruz (3-4).

Wheeling splits: Visiting Wheeling (5-12) dropped the opener 7-4 but came back with an 18-4 triumph in Game 2 when sophomore Sara Kern belted 3 triples (two in one inning) and went 3-for-5 with 5 RBI.

Other offensive leaders in Game 2 for the Wildcats were Alyson Fallon (2-for-4, RBI) and winning pitcher Sejal Shah (3-for-5).

In Game 1, the Wildcats’ offense was led by Kern (2-for-4), Jackie Rensick (2-for-3) and Taylor Schroeder (3-for-4 double).