Conant saves best for last in win at Barrington

Conant’s Allie Bauch summed it up well after her Cougars softball team kept its record perfect in the Mid-Suburban West on Friday at Barrington’s Fields of Dreams.

“Better late than never,” said the senior shortstop referring to her team’s offensive explosion in the top of the ninth inning.

That’s when Cougars broke open a 1-1 tie by scoring 6 runs on 5 hits en route to 7-1 triumph over the Fillies.

“Barrington always gives us a game on this field,” said Bauch, whose Cougars (24-2, 12-0) were 10-0 winners in five innings over Barrington two weeks ago in Hoffman Estates.

But this time, senior Briana Cavin (22-2) and junior Cassidy Kraimer (14-5) hooked up in a terrific pitchers duel until the Cougars finally broke through.

Conant scored all its runs after two were out.

After a walk to Megan Reff, Barb Linderman singled to left for her first hit of the game.

“I’m so proud of Barb,” said Conant coach CathyAnn Smith. “She kept fouling off so many pitches and then got that hit.

“I knew this would be a tough game coming in. I saw Barrington warming up and they looked very sharp.”

But the Cougars were sharp when they had to be late in the game.

With Linderman on first and Reff on second, Briana Cavin doubled to left for the game-winning RBI.

But the Cougars weren’t through.

Bauch beat out an infield hit to score another run for a 4-1 lead. Rachel O’Malley singled to left for a 5-1 lead before Miranda Cavin’s single up the middle brought home O’Malley.

After a pitching change to Emma Woods, Kim Jacobson singled to left and Miranda Cavin came home when Sarah Thompson reached on an outfield error to make it 7-1.

“I knew there were two out,” Briana Cavin said about her big double in the ninth. “And we had to do something. After Barb got that big hit, everyone started hitting.”

“It felt good to get a timely hit in that inning,” said Jacobson, who went 2-for-5.

Bauch and O’Malley also went 2-for-5.

Cougars catcher Miranda Cavin (2-for-3, 2 walks) tripled to right in the first inning to score her sister Briana (2-for-4, walk) for the 1-0 lead.

Barrington (24-6, 8-4) scored in the third on Loren Krzysko’s bases-loaded single to left with one out.

Briana Cavin escaped further damage when third baseman Jacobson threw to Miranda Cavin for the force at home and then second baseman O’Malley caught Raegen Fingerman’s liner.

Ally McLaughlin, Erin Ward and Maggie O’Hara had Barrington’s other hits.

“It was a great game,” said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. “Just like our last game (3-0 loss at Elk Grove), we were close again. But close doesn’t cut it.

“We’ve got to get better and finish it off. We’re awfully close but there are no moral victories for Barrington softball. We need to finish.”

The Cougars finished 14-2 last season in the MSL West and have a two-game lead over Fremd (10-2) with four to play this year.

“We just have a unique group of girls,” Smith said. “It takes all 12. Everyone supports each other and Bri and Miranda are in tune. I’m lucky to be a part of this group.”