Perryman sets K record, but Schaumburg downs Elgin
Schaumburg senior pitcher Renee Kakareka knew if she just pitched her game Wednesday her teammates would come through with the bats, despite the fact the Saxons were facing one of the state’s premier pitchers in Elgin senior Hannah Perryman.
She was right.
Kakareka threw a commanding 2-hitter and senior Sarah May came through with the game-winning hit in the fifth inning as No. 10 seed Schaumburg upended No. 6 Elgin 2-1 in the semifinals of the Class 4A Elk Grove softball regional.
The Saxons (18-14) will take on No. 2 seed Elk Grove in the championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“I know our team is a good hitting team and no matter what pitcher we face we can hit them,” said Kakareka, who struck out 8 and walked 1 in running her record to 11-5 for the season. “I just had to have confidence and pitch my game. My riseball was a little shaky at the beginning but then I got it to move.”
The loss was bittersweet for Perryman, who closed out her outstanding four-year Elgin High career by striking out 14 and becoming the school’s all-time career strikeout leader. Her 11th strikeout of the game eclipsed the record of 836 set by Elizabeth Waller from 1992-95. Perryman (18-8), who will play at Missouri-St. Louis next year, finished this season with a school-record 368 strikeouts, giving her 840 for her career.
“I feel like I should still be a freshman,” said Perryman. “Today was the last day of school and it doesn’t feel like it should be over. I’m going to miss all these girls, especially (catcher) Kelly (Bremer). She did an incredible job catching me. I’m proud of (the record) and it’s nice to have all the strikeouts but I couldn’t have done it without Kelly. I’m happy with everybody and how they did.”
Schaumburg took the early lead when senior Courtney Raschk caught a Perryman pitch on the sweet spot and jacked it over the left-field fence for a 1-0 Saxons lead in the second inning.
Elgin returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Jennah Perryman did the same to a Kakareka pitch to make it a 1-1 game.
“Jennah hit a rocket but (Kakareka) kept us off balance,” said Hannah Perryman. “She did a good job and they got the hits when they needed them.”
The biggest of those Schaumburg hits came in the top of the fifth, the same inning Hannah Perryman ended with her record-breaking strikeout. But prior to that, freshman Shannon Felde led off the inning with a double to left-center. After a strikeout, May ripped a first-pitch liner to right-center, easily scoring Felde with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
“I was just thinking that I had to get on base for us to win,” said May. “I was thinking first pitch all the way.”
The rest was all Kakareka and the Schaumburg defense. After Jennah Perryman’s homer in the fourth, Kakareka didn’t allow Elgin another baserunner until she issued a two-out walk — the only walk of the game by either pitcher — to junior Caroline Sobeski. But then Kakareka got sophomore Bri Wright to ground out to second to end the game.
“Everybody’s got to come out ready to go and we came out ready to go today,” said Schaumburg coach Ellen Stoddard. “We had the pitching, the hitting and defense. We played well.”
Elgin finished 20-12 for the second straight year, with Wednesday’s game being what Maroons coach Chad Dahlman thought it would be.
“We expected a low-scoring game,” Dahlman said. “When you only get two hits you’re not going to win. Hannah threw well and Renee threw real well. She kept us off balance. We wish Schaumburg the best of luck Saturday.”
Dahlman echoed the bittersweet feeling of seeing Hannah Perryman pitch for the last time in high school.
“I’ve had her for three years and the way she’s matured has been unbelievable,” he said. “This year she really did a great job of getting ahead of hitters. I haven’t been around softball a long time but it’s one of the most dominating seasons I’ve seen.”