Vernon Hills’ comeback sinks Carmel

Vernon Hills’ softball team rallied late to knock off host Carmel Catholic 4-3 in extra innings Wednesday.

Sami Freibrun (double, 2 RBI) and Megan Meline (RBI) each had 2 hits for the Cougars (9-5), who scored twice in the seventh to pull even and then plated the winning run in the eighth.

Jenn Claussen pitched all 8 innings for Vernon Hills, striking out 11 and walking two.

Carmel (5-5) got a triple and an RBI from freshman Jenny Behan and 2 hits from Abby Andrejek.

Nicole Bitter, who pitched 7 innings for the Corsairs, struck out nine.

Grayslake Central 12, Hampshire 2: Claire Brennan homered, tripled and singled for the visiting Rams in the Fox Valley Conference game.

Brennan finished 3-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. Amber Hozey also hit a home run and had 3 hits for the Rams. Hozey drove in 4 runs and scored twice. Anna Strickland (RBI), Kati Brew (RBI) and Sarah Kuligowski (2 runs) each had 2 hits.

Grayslake Central got doubles from Brittany Brown, Caitlin Flary and winning pitcher Tayler Janda.

Grant 4, Richmond-Burton 3: Rachel DePouw belted a 3-run homer in the third, and the visiting Bulldogs pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh to win the nonconference game.

It was DePouw’s fourth home run of the season.

Caitlin Moran went the distance in the circle for Grant (9-3), striking out nine and scattering 4 hits. Taylor Rossi added a double for the Bulldogs.

Glenbrook South 10, Stevenson 9: Cailin Rubenstein was 4-for-5 with a triple and an RBI, and Sara Loerch went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI for the visiting Patriots in the nonconference game.

Only 2 of the runs allowed by Stevenson pitcher Sam Feder were earned. The junior struck out seven and walked six.

“The timing of our miscues was costly,” said coach Larry Friedrichs, whose Patriots also stranded 10 runners.

Nicole Alesi added a triple and single for Stevenson (1-10).