Sullivan lifts Leyden to sweep of Maine West
Leyden catcher Dana Sullivan was recently accepted to the University of Illinois and is a recruited walk-on for the Illini softball team.
Saturday afternoon, her walk-off 2-run single brought home the winning run in Leyden’s 7-6 come-from-behind win in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Maine West at the Ballpark in Rosemont.
The Eagles, who were down 4-1 in Game 1, also rallied from a 7-5 deficit in Game 2 for a 9-7 victory to improve to 9-1 for the season.
“We definitely weren’t used to coming from behind,” Sullivan said. “But this shows us we are capable of doing it.”
The Eagles made 9 errors in the twin bill.
“This showed us what we have to work on,” Sullivan added. “Obviously, we had physical errors but the mental ones killed us.”
Leyden coach Kurt Schuett agreed.
“People say when it’s cold, don’t go out and play cold,” he said. “But I think we were thinking cold. What concerns me most was that were missing routine plays and the mental errors. And they were by our premier players.”
The Eagles went 5-1 last weekend in a Tennessee tournament and then topped Larkin 16-1 early in the week.
“I think the jet-lag thing may have just kicked in,” Schuett said. “It’s kind of like when you pull a muscle, and then three days later you start feeling it and say ‘Wow, I really did a number on myself.’”
The offensive for Leyden was led by April Markowski (3-for-4, RBI) 2 runs), Sullivan (3-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 runs), Denise Moran (1-for-3, double) and Jessica DuBrock (2-for-3, 1 run).
Morgan Maize (7-1) threw a 7-hitter with 5 strikeouts, 1 walk and 3 earned runs to get the win over Ariel Smolik-Valles (4-2).
Smolik-Valles was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a triple. Angela Cruz (2-for-3, double, RBI) and Hanna Udischas (2-for-4, 3 RBI) also sparked the Warriors’ offense.
Freshman Sammi Caputo (1-0) went six innings to get the win in Game 2 while Maize got the save with 3 strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh.
DuBrock (2-for-3, double, run), Markowski (2-for-4, 1 run) and Melissa Dziadosz (2-for-4, RBI, 1 run) led the Eagles’ offense.
Gina Larucci (2-for-4, 2 runs), Cruz (3-for-4, RBI, 1 run) and Brie Montmarquette was (2-for-4, 4 RBI, 2 runs) led West (5-5).
Maize, one of the top hitters in the state, was walked intentional each time she came to bat.
“I know that puts you at a disadvantage but from what I understand she is a great hitter,” said Warriors coach Amy Gonzales. “She is so talented, and going to play for DePaul means a lot.”
Junior Tara Nykiel pitched Game 2 for West.
“Kara did well,” Gonzales said. “We have a lot of things to work on. We need to make sure we are making the plays because our pitchers have to keep throwing in innings when they should be out of them.
“I think it was a mental thing. They knew Leyden was a good team and they have a lot of great hitters. But it isn’t like they were hitting the ball in places we weren’t. Mentally, we didn’t make the plays we needed to.”
Barrington 10, Antioch 1: Raegan Fingerman (3-for-3, 2 RBI), Ally McLaughlin (2-for-4), Loren Krzysko (2-for-3, home run, RBI, 3 runs) and Tess Bolger (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI) led Barrington which received a 5-hitter from Cassidy Kraimer (2-1), who struck out six and walked one in Game 1 of the Barrington quad.
Barrington 8, Lane Tech 3: Fillies junior third baseman Loren Krzysko belted her 20th homer of her career, leaving her just two from tying Ashley Bergreen’s school record of 22.
Raegan Fingerman (2-for-4, RBI), Maggie O’Hara (2-for-4), Ally McLaughlin (4-for-5, RBI), Vasi Panos (3-for-4, double), Tess Bolger, Erin Ward and Morgan Olszewski each doubled for Barrington (7-2) as senior Emma Woods notched the win.
Lane Tech 3, Schaumburg 2 (10 inn.): Lane Tech scored the winning run in the bottom of the tenth in Game 1 of the Barrington quad.
Saxons senior Rene Kakareka went all 10 innings, striking out 12. Junior Hannah Kerr had an RBI double.
“Rene pitched great,” said Saxons coach Ellen Stoddard, whose offense was led by Courtney Plackner (2-for-4).
Schaumburg 11, Antioch 0 (5 inn.): Hannah Kerr (2-4, triple, RBI), Courtney Raschk (2-for-3, triple, 2 RBI), Sarah May (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI) and Alyssa Lancaster (1-for-2 2 RBI) led the offense for the Saxons (3-2). Kerr also threw a 1-hitter to notch the win in Game 2 of the Barrington quad.
Glenbrook North sweeps Prospect: Glenbrook North won the opener 4-0. Prospect threatened in the sixth and seventh innings, loading the bases each time.
Julie Mazur (2-for-3, walk) led the Knights’ offense.
“We’ve really been struggling with the runs lately,” said Knights coach Jim Adair. “Every team we play seems to get 3 runs on 1 hit. but we get 3 hits and don’t score at all. Our time will come. We’re just in a slump now.
“We just have to be patient, but not too patient because we’re going to have to play a lot better before we get into MSL play.”
Hanna Lythberg took the loss in Game 1 while Jill Sadowski suffered the defeat in Game 2. Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Prospect (3-5) mounted an impressive comeback with 6 runs to before 7-6.
The Knights took advantage of 5 walks and a bases-loaded triple by Lythberg (3-for-4, 3 RBI).
Freshman Alyssa Gnech started the inning by drawing the first of 4 consecutive walks before Lythberg’s triple.
Cassie Poulos singled to score Lythberg and the Knights had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs before a groundout to third ended the game.
“The kids really showed me something today,” Adair said. “They want to battle, they want to win and they can do it. We’ve got to build on that.”
Elk Grove sweeps: Despite all-state pitcher Dani Goranson (2-0) having to leave after one inning of Game 1 with a bruise near her ankle, the Grenadiers (5-0) swept host Resurrection 4-3 and 9-0.
Goranson doubled off the fence but was hit by the ball while sliding into second base. Grens coach Ken Grams said X-rays were negative.
Senior Andrea Starr (3-0) took the mound and went on to win both games, striking out 17. She struck out eight with no walks in her six innings of work in the first game
A bases-loaded walk to Devan Parkison gave the Grens a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth.
Carly Danek (2-for-4, double, 2 runs) and Tori Liewergen (2-for-3) led the Elk Grove offense.
“We hit ball at them and they made nice plays,” Grams said. “After Dani got hurt, the kids came through and pulled together. Andrea pitched well and carried us. And we got timely hits in the second game.”
Starr struck out nine and walked one in Game 2 while tossing a 2-hitter.
Becca Maher and Elisa Payne each doubled while Krista Soesbe went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.
Rockford East invitational: Crystal Lake South scored 3 runs after two were out in the bottom of the seventh to edge Rolling Meadows 5-4 in the championship game.
The Mustangs (4-2) were one strike away from winning two times but the Gators were able to collect 2 walks, a double and single to pull out the win.
Junior Sam Anderson’s third home run of the season, a two-out, two-run blast, gave Meadows a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh.
Anderson was 3-for-4 with the home run, a double and 3 RBI).
To reach the title game, Meadows defeated Winnebago 16-0 and Rockford Boylan 3-2.
Junior Hannah Whidden went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI against Winnebago while Chloe Prodanovic, Emily Hattory (3 RBI), Josie Suchecki (3 RBI), Lane Winkler, Megan O’Donnell and Sara Brunlieb (2 RBI) each had 2 hits.
Against Boylan, Whidden was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI, a 2-run double and the game-winning single that drove in Suchecki in the bottom of the fifth.
Brunlieb (4-2) got all three decisions. She struck out 13 batters and walked two in the first two games.
Buffalo Grove sweeps Niles West: Freshman Julia Camardo struck out 12 and threw a 1-hitter for a 3-0 shutout in Game 1. Camardo also had a 2-run double while teammate Becca Winter was 2-for-3.
Senior Megan Fu (5 strikeouts) was the winning pitcher in Game 2 as the Bison improved to 3-5 with a 10-9 triumph.
Erin Barton (4-for-4, 2 doubles), Caitlin Catino (3-for-4, double) and Kristina Dakas (2-for-3) led the Bison offense which also received doubles from freshman Maddi Morini.
Grant sweeps Palatine: Grant came away with 6-5 and 9-4 wins over the visiting Pirates (5-4).
Grace Rohrwasser (2-for-5, 2 runs), Lauren Logan (2-for-5, 2 runs), Megan Hedstrom (4-for-5, double) and Jamie Haze (double, RBI) led the Pirates’ offense in Game 1.
Hedstrom (3-3) threw 8 innings with 4 strikeouts.
In Game 2, Hedstrom (2-3, home run), Courtney English (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Jules Udoni (1-for-3, RBI) led the Palatine offense. Udoni took the loss and is now 2-1.