Barrington still kicking in MSL West
Barrington’s softball team started out the week with a loss at Rolling Meadows.
But after Saturday’s 6-0 win at Palatine, the Fillies had won four straight in the Mid-Suburban League and find themselves alive and kicking for the West crown.
Conant leads the West at 9-1, followed by Fremd (8-2), Barrington (8-3) and Palatine (6-4).
The Fillies improved to 20-9, their 19th consecutive season with 20 or more wins under coach Perry Peterson.
“We’re finally moving in the right direction,” said Fillies outfielder Liz Owen. “And to get two wins in less than 24 hours is really big for us.”
After holding on for a 5-4 victory over the Pirates on Friday night at the Fields of Dreams, the Fillies came back Saturday morning and put away the game with 5 runs in the top of the seventh.
Fillies ace Kiley Dolezal (16-6) was perfect through five innings before finishing with a 2-hitter (bunt singles by Katie Mnichowicz and Katie Scovic).
Sophomore Loren Krzysko’s team-high ninth home run over the center-field fence with two outs in the first inning made it 1-0.
Palatine (17-6) threatened to go ahead in the bottom of the sixth when it loaded the bases with one out — walks to Tori Walzak and Megan Hedstrom and the bunt by Mnichowicz.
However, Dolezal retained her shutout with a grounder back to the mound which she threw to catcher Kristin Kuhn for the second out.
Dolezal got the next batter to ground to shortstop Kelsey Kazmier, who stepped on second base for a force out.
The highlight of the Fillies’ seventh inning was junior Jazlynn Skor’s bases-loaded triple to right with no outs.
It came after an RBI single by Owen and a hit-by-pitch RBI by Courtney Blum. Kiersten Tinkoff and pinch-hitter Danielle Di Iorio also had singles in the inning.
“I was kind of flustered in my first three at-bats but I felt real good in that last one,” Skor said. “I hope we can keep this going, Like coach (Perry) Peterson says, it’s all about how your finish the season.”
Dolezal, who also went 2-for-3 at the plate, finished with 5 strikeouts in one of her best outings of the season.
“I’m really proud of Kiley’s performance today,” said Peterson. “She is stepping up when the teammates need her the most.”
After one out in the bottom of the seventh, Lauren Logan drew a walk and Scovic bunted safely before Dolezal got the final two outs on fly out to Jordan Wekony to right and a grounder to K.D. Madden.
Palatine senior ace Dani Boisvert (14-5) struck out four.
“The game was a lot closer than the score indicated,” said Pirates coach Jeff Manz. “We played some great defense. We just didn’t hit the ball well enough.”