MSL West all-stars hold off East
The Mid-Suburban League has proven to be one of the top conferences in the state when it comes to softball.
The 19th annual MSL Senior All-Star Game was a perfect example of the fine play area fans have been accustomed to seeing from the 12-team conference.
In a snappy, well-played 90-minute contest, the West All-Stars edged the East 3-1 on Monday night at Barrington’s Fields of Dreams before a big turnout.
West starting pitcher Kiley Dolezal of Barrington earned the Nancy Frisk Most Valuable Player Award by shutting out the East for the first five innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out two.
Paige Ward, a standout first baseman who threw only 5 innings all innings all season for Conant, notched the save by pitching the final 2 innings.
Ward dramatically ended the game by retiring Buffalo Grove slugger Andrea DiPrima, who stood in the batter’s box as the tying run.
Ward got the out by extending her glove high in the air to grab DiPrima’s hard-hit chopper and then threw to first to notch the West’s third straight win in the showcase event.
“I really wanted to get that last out because I knew what a great player she (Northwestern recruit DiPrima) is,” said Ward, who along with fellow West teammates Joanne Jablonski and Kiersten Tinkoff will play at Wisconsin-Whitewater. “I’m going to miss high school softball so much. And the pitcher before me (Dolezal) was so amazing and such a sweetheart.”
Dolezal becomes the third straight Fillie to earn the MVP award named in the memory of Nancy Frisk, who died of cancer in 1992.
Nancy was the wife of Bob Frisk, an enthusiastic supporter of high school sports for his 50 years at the Daily Herald who retired in December 2008.
Bob awarded the MVP award to Nora Logue before Monday’s game and to Kim Cygan in 2009.
“This game is just for fun, and that’s what I like the best about it,” said Dolezal, who will study at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind.
Jablonski (2-for-2) was having fun from the outset.
Palatine’s four-year varsity standout sent an RBI single to right field in the first inning to score Barrington’s Colleen Shandley, who had bunted safely and went to second on a groundout to short from Palatine’s Katie Mnichowicz.
Kelsey Pellus of Hoffman Estates then delivered a double to the left-center gap to score Jablonski for the second run.
The West scored its final run in the second inning when Tinkoff singled to center with one out, went to second on Ward’s groundout and came home when Barrington’s Dana Moran reached on an error.
Like Jablonski, Femd’s Ali Gaeding also went 2-for-2 for the West while teammates Jessica Cook (Schaumburg), Tinkoff and Moran also had hits.
Buffalo Grove ace Maria Dax did not give up a run in the final five innings and struck out four.
The East was grateful to have the services of Dax after the right-hander pitched 23 innings in Wauconda over the weekend with her Sauganash Storm travel team and worked several hours Monday at her job at the Winnetka Community House.
“Andrea (DiPrima) called and said ‘We need you,’” said Dax with a smile. “I said, ‘All right, I’m on my way.’ I’m happy I got here. It was good day.
“It’s always fun because you get to play with girls who are going against travel and high school softball.”
The East got its first run in the top of the seventh when KC Dunne singled to left with one out.
The Buffalo Grove standout, headed to Western Illinois, was the game’s only player with 3 hits (3-for-3, double 1 run).
Prospect’s Nicole Naranjo (2-for-3) singled to left before Dunne alertly raced home from second base on Rolling Meadows’ Abby Matayka’s fielder’s choice grounder.
With Naranjo on base, Ward got the final out with her cat-like reaction to DiPrima’s chopper.
“I think it’s really nice that they do this for us,” said Ward, who homered in the MSL championship game when her Cougars defeated Elk Grove. “I give a lot of props to all the Barrington coaches to help get this game ready for us on this field.”
Hersey’s Kim Ferraro and Meadows’ Emily Skorin (who had a nifty scoop for a putout in the first inning) each had infield hits for the East.
Meadows catcher Kelly Keyzer threw out a runner out trying to steal second base and Matayka, playing third base, threw out a runner trying to score from third base as catcher Naranjo made the tag in the fifth inning.