Meadows rallies for extra-inning win
Playing its final game of the regular season, Rolling Meadows’ softball team was one out away from a loss at St. Viator.
But Natalie Cannizzo was hardly thinking that way as she stood in the batter’s box with her team trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning and runners on first and third.
“I was thinking what better situation to put myself in because I had been in a slump,” said the switching-hitting senior who has played seven different positions this season, including left field and first base on Saturday. “I got an inside pitch and I’m not usually a fan of that.”
Batting right-handed, Cannizzo brought the Meadows fans to their feet.
She ripped the inside pitch for a double to left, scoring Jenny Watson and Maddie Morgan to tie the game at 2-2.
Meadows (17-16) then came up with a huge double play in the bottom of the seventh and went on to win 3-2 win in nine innings.
“It was so exciting to see that big defensive play in the bottom of the seventh,” Cannizzo added. “That gave us so much energy to bring up our bats because they weren’t going that well most of the game.”
After Chloe Prodanovic lined a one-out single to left, she stole second and came home on Emily Hattory’s double to center in the top of the ninth for the game-winning RBI.
Junior ace Sara Brunlieb (14-8) then retired the side in order to give the Mustangs the victory going into next Tuesday’s regional semifinal game at home against Prospect at 7 p.m.
“Before the game, we knew we were guaranteed two more games, and together we said ‘let’s make them count,’ ” said Brunlieb, who struck out six. “Natalie is a senior so she went out and got us going with that big double in the seventh inning.”
St. Viator (11-24) ended up with 9 hits, getting four straight singles from starting pitcher Sam Hogan (2-for-4), losing pitcher Krystal Harris (3-for-4), Alex Flasch (RBI) and Lauren Prazuch (RBI) in the top of the sixth when the Lions took a 2-0 lead.
But the visiting Mustangs refused to surrender in their final at bat.
“We haven’t given up all season,” said Meadows coach Tony Wolanski. “It’s been frustrating with our hitting but we haven’t quit.
“We’ve played pretty good defense and pitched well, but we just have to find a way to get our bats going.”
The Mustangs got them going in a few clutch spots Saturday to pull out the win.
Viator was within one base of a win in the bottom of the seventh.
Gina Mastrodomenico bounced a single to left and Tess Kaiser followed with a liner to right-center. Mastrodomenico scooted to third on the hit and Kaiser got to second on the throw to third.
With no outs, Wolanski used five infielders the rest of inning.
Brunlieb got a strikeout for the first out. Then the Mustangs produced the huge inning-ending double play.
Third baseman Lane Winkler (doubled in the eighth) fielded a slow grounder and threw home to catcher Sarah Caprio (doubled in the fourth) for one out. Caprio proceeded to throw to shortstop Sam Anderson, who threw back to Winkler to catch the second Lion in a rundown.
“We just didn’t get the hit when we needed,” said Lions coach Dan Twarog. “Our defense played well most of the game.
“We’ve had some injuries but Tess Kaiser (ribs), Sam Hogan (hand) and Michelle Presslak (wrist) came back and contributed for us. This was a good tuneup for our playoff opener Monday (against Wauconda in the Wauconda Class 3A regional).”
Hattory (1-for-2) got on base four times for Meadows while first baseman Josie Suchecki reached three times on 3 walks.