Parsons powers Lake Zurich past Carmel
She had played JV softball for the bulk of the 2011 season.
She played DH on varsity Saturday.
Her favorite two letters on Saturday?
H and R.
Lake Zurich freshman Mallory Parsons, in only her sixth varsity game, hit a pair of home runs — the first 2 HRs of her varsity career — and drove in 4 runs in a 7-1 defeat of Carmel in the Class 4A Hersey regional final Saturday morning.
Third-seeded Lake Zurich (22-7) will face No. 2 Palatine (25-9) in a Warren sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
LZ beat Palatine 4-2 on March 31.
“When Mallory came up from our JV team, after an injury to one of our players, you could tell she was nervous, tense,” said Bears coach Michaela Towne.
“But today, for the first time,” she added, “Mallory looked relaxed.”
Parsons eyeballed pitches on Saturday.
And hit three of them squarely.
Her sharp infield single up the middle, with Bears on first and second, plated the game’s first run in the second inning. Carmel freshman shortstop Kathleen Felicelli smothered the grounder while diving to her left and nearly made a force-out — with her glove — at second base.
Parsons connected for a 2-run homer to right field in the bottom of the fourth, fattening the lead to 6-0.
She then ripped a solo shot, to center, in the sixth.
Three at-bats, 3 hits, 9 total bases.
One happy rookie.
“I did feel more comfortable today,” Parsons admitted after powering LZ to its third straight regional championship. “I was determined, too.”
Her teammate, senior starting pitcher Megan Mattera, also played resolutely, fanning seven of the first eight batters she faced and allowing 1 run. LZ’s ace finished with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk in a snappy 3-hitter.
Mattera (18-7) had a perfect game going with two outs in the fifth inning, before hitting Corsairs sophomore Danielle Pullano with a pitch. Felicelli spoiled the no-hit bid in the sixth, striking a two-out single off the outstretched glove of Bears freshman second baseman Carlee Parsons.
Freshman Erin Pauly singled in Carmel’s lone run, after classmate Amy Abel’s lead-off double in the seventh.
LZ had scored 3 unearned runs off sophomore starter Erika Schoenfeld (4⅔ IP, 3 ER, 7 hits) in the second inning.
“Uncharacteristic errors,” Carmel coach Jason Raymond said of his club’s two consecutive miscues in the frame.
“We talked afterward,” he added, “about taking steps, and we did that this season. We improved steadily, from March until May.”
Carmel (13-21-1), seeded 11th, eliminated sixth-seeded Stevenson 9-6 in a regional semifinal on Thursday.
Mattera and junior Christina Sandstedt each singled twice for the victors in an 8-hit attack Saturday.
“Lake Zurich has a really nice team, is well-coached,” Raymond said. “Michaela does a great job. Her team’s offense … tough, so tough. You have to be on your toes when you play Lake Zurich.”
The game was played at 9 a.m., a couple of hours earlier than most regional championships because of Lake Zurich’s graduation ceremony at 2 p.m.
Bears senior shortstop Tabbetha Bohac, University of Chicago-bound, personified a student-athlete after the game. She smiled and held the championship plaque, while posing for a photo.
Her headwear for the pic: a white mortarboard.