Friday night lights shine on Glenbard South

Marengo carries the mantle of defending state champion.

Clearly, Glenbard South is not impressed.

For the second consecutive year, the No. 11 Raiders battered their fellow Class 3A power, this time 10-3 on Friday night at the Bandits Stadium in Rosemont.

Glenbard South run-ruled Marengo 10-0 last April, then watched the Indians win the 3A title in June. That bitter pill still hasn’t left the Raiders.

“We were anxious to play them again,” Glenbard South’s Brianna Meath said.

This was the latest installment of the Bandits’ “Friday Night Lights” series matching top area teams. Two weeks ago Marengo and UIC-bound ace Lindsay Melson (13-4) handed Richards, considered by many the top team in Class 4A, its first loss 3-2. Melson carried a 0.99 ERA into Friday, striking out almost two batters per inning.

But she ran into a buzzsaw on this raw April evening.

Starting with Meath’s line-drive single on a full count leading off, Glenbard South sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the first. Jane Trzaska tripled into the gap to score Meath and Hannah Davey, then Trzaska scored on a wild pitch. Olivia Ramirez doubled and scored on a Hannah Taylor squeeze, making it 4-0.

“We’re a good hitting team,” Meath said. “Playing in this stadium really pumped us up. It feels just like state.”

Glenbard South (18-3) tacked on 2 more runs in the second inning for a 6-1 lead, then loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, ending Melson’s night. Danielle Chitkowski rudely greeted Marengo’s relief pitcher, doubling off the fence in left to clear the bases and make it 9-1.

Glenbard South had four runners thrown out on the bases but forced the issue all night with its aggressiveness and hot hitting. The Raiders welcomed the opportunity to face a pitcher with Melson’s speed.

“They came to play tonight,” Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said. “My girls, they actually prefer the faster pitchers. Those kids that were down at state last year, they had a bit of a grudge playing against this team.”

Marengo coach Dwain Nance couldn’t think of a time Melson had been hit like this — and was quick to give credit where credit was do. Nance’s Indians (20-4) did pound out 9 hits, but stranded 9 runners.

“Glenbard South showed up, they were ready to play and they hit the ball well,” Nance said. “The biggest difference in the game was left on base. We lost by 7, left 9 on base and they left 2. Difference of 7. But they put a lot of pressure on you, and one through nine they hit the ball. They’re gonna go a long way.”

Chitkowski (10-1), who got the start for Glenbard South, did buckle down well with runners on. She allowed 3 runs — just 1 earned — with 4 strikeouts in five innings.

Meath and Davey, Glenbard South’s No. 1 and No. 2 hitters, were both 3-for-3, both reaching base all four times up. Meath also made a nice over-the-shoulder catch of a pop-up in the sixth, and Davey tracked down a hard-hit ball to center to end the game. Meath scored 4 runs, happy to bust out of a recent slump.

“Day before this I got my timing down and started hitting really good,” Meath said. “I’ve been practicing my outside pitches and she threw it to the outside — that’s where I hit it.”

Megan Semro was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and Reed Karsten reached base four times for Marengo.