Conant closes in on history
On Thursday, the Conant softball team moved within 1 win of achieving something that’s eluded the program for more than 35 years.
A victory today at Schaumburg would give the Cougars at least a tie for first in the Mid-Suburban West.
Junior ace Briana Cavin (18-1) hurled a 5-hitter and received some clutch defense as the Cougars blanked visiting Palatine 3-0 in Hoffman Estates.
The last time Conant won a softball divisional title (MSL South) was 1974, when it won the MSL crown over North champion Wheeling.
Conant improved to 23-1 and 12-1 in the MSL West while runner-up Fremd (21-3-1) lost to Barrington 8-2 and fell to 10-3 with three games left.
Catcher Miranda Cavin (2-for-2) gave her sister a 2-0 cushion by belting two-out RBI doubles in the first and third innings.
Miranda Cavin also scored the third run in the sixth inning when she walked and came home on Kim Jacobson’s long single off the right-field fence.
“Miranda came out strong with her bat,” said Conant coach CathyAnn Smith, whose team is 2 wins shy of the single season school-record of 25. “Palatine has always been a strong program in the past. They are quick on the bases. We knew we had to play strong defense.
“Hilary O’Donnell made a nice backup play in center field to save an error and Shannon O’Connor did a nice job backing up in right field.”
The Pirates (19-7, 7-5) threatened plenty of times.
Tori Walzak (2-for-3) led off the third with a single to right and Alexis Bauer reached on an error, giving the Pirates runners on first and second with no outs.
However, shortstop Allie Bauch came up with three straight putouts, two on assists from third baseman Jacobson, who fielded groundballs. All three times Bauch stepped on third base for force outs.
In the next inning, Joanne Jablonski (2-for-3) led off with a triple to right, but Briana Cavin (4 strikeouts) got out of the inning with a groundout to Bauch and 2 strikeouts.
“Allie and I worked real well together,” Jacobson said. “Everyone on the team knows how each person throws and fields. We’re like one big team. We knew how every single player reacts.”
The Pirates got their leadoff batter (Walzak) on base in the fifth inning, too.
In the sixth, Jablonski belted a double to right-center with one out, but Conant escaped further with a groundout to third baseman Walzak a strikeout.
“Palatine is a very respectable team, especially with their power-hitting lineup,” O’Donnell said. “We knew we had to come out with good defense. Everyone is gunning for us now. We can’t be cocky. We must be confident.
“I know I can always rely on the defense. Bri (Cavin) is an all-star pitcher, and we’ve got her back.”
Walzak and Alexis Bauer were standing on first and second in the seventh when the Pirates’ defense rose to the occasion again. Freshman second baseman Rachel O’Malley caught pitcher Dani Boisvert’s hard liner, then threw to first baseman Paige Ward to double up the runner and end the game.
“That was a big play by Rachel to end the game,” Smith said. “It was good to give us momentum going in to (today’s) game.”
After Briana Cavin retired the first six batters, the Pirates had at least one runner on base the next five innings.
“We got runners on base with less than two outs so many times,” said Pirates coach Jeff Manz. “But we’ve got to score. We didn’t even advance them a base.
“With Sam (Salomone, all-area outfielder) out (wrist injury), I asked the girls who was going to step up? And I thought Joanna and Tori did, both offensively and in the field.”
Jablonski made a great shoestring catch in the second inning to take away a hit from O’Malley.
Jablonski also fielded a ball off the right-center fence and threw the runner out at second base with shortstop Katie Mnichowicz making the tag.
Pirates catcher Alex Ballenger threw out a runner trying to steal second and picked a runner off first base.