Softball / Northwest roundup
Prospect kicked off the Class 4A softball state tourney with a 5-0 shutout over Highland Park in Monday’s play-in regional game in Mt. Prospect.
Knights junior Hanna Lythberg (4-13) pitched the first 5 innings and scattered 4 hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Mary Liberty threw the final 2 innings, giving up 2 hits with a walk and 1 strikeout.
“For two teams that have struggled this year, this was a pretty well-played game.” said Knights Jim Adair.
No. 13 Prospect (8-22) advanced to today’s semifinal of the Zion-Benton regional and will face No. 4 Barrington (25-10) at 4:30 p.m. in Zion.
The Knights scored first in the third inning when Lythberg reached on an error and was singled home by Cassie Poulos (3-for-3 with a double, a walk, RBI).
Prospect added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Mary Styzek and Michele Molini singled to lead off; Styzek scored on Lythberg’s infield groundout.
The big inning for Prospect came in the fifth, when Poulos doubled and Sarah Scaccia singled.
Amy Graham singled to score Emma Menich who was pinch running for Poulos.
Nikki Surico (2-for-4, walk, RBI) then hit a two-out single to score Scaccia and Amy Graham scored on Styzek’s sacrifice fly.
Wheeling 4, Deerfield 3: While winning the Palatine regional play-in game, the No. 18-seeded and visiting Wildcats (5-21) scored 3 runs in the third inning without a hit.
Taylor Schroeder, Alyson Fallon and Emily Walker all scored on either a passed ball or wild pitch.
The Wildcats’ 2 hits against No. 15 Deerfield came in the fifth inning when Fallon had a base hit and scored on Kaitlyn DeBusk’s RBI single.
Winning pitcher Katie Quaqliano went the first 6 innings striking out five and allowing 3 hits while Sejal Shah notched the save in the seventh.
Wheeling meets No. 2 and host Palatine (23-9) in today’s semifinal at 4:30 p.m.
Hersey 11, Lake Forest 5: The No. 14-seeded Huskies (10-21) advanced to today’s 4:30 p.m. semifinal of their own regional against No. 3 Lake Zurich.
In defeating No. 19 Lake Forest, Hersey was led on offense by Mallory Eichhorn, who went 2-for-2 with 2 doubles despite leaving for the hospital after the game for a dislocated pinkie finger.
Alex Tinaglia and Haley Henriksen and winning pitcher Sarah Platt also doubled for Hersey.
Platt (3 strikeouts) pitched the first five innings while teammate Morgan Palmer struck out three in the final two.
Rolling Meadows 8, St. Viator 1: Senior Kelly Keyzer (2-for-3, triple) and junior Josie Suchecki (2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 doubles) led the host Mustangs (18-15) in the nonconference game.
Mustangs sophomore Sarah Caprio collected an RBI single in the fifth inning for her first varsity hit.
Sara Brunlieb (15-8) set a single-season school record for wins as the sophomore right-hander threw a 7-hitter with 8 strikeouts.
Angela Dickey went 2-for-3 for the Lions.