Softball: Palatine pockets a pair of wins

Palatine's softball team picked up two more wins Saturday on its home diamond, where it will host Barrington on Monday for a chance at first-place in the Mid-Suburban West.

With wins over Vernon Hills (5-4) and Lane Tech (8-1) in their own tri-meet, the Pirates improved to 9-1 overall and stand at 2-0 in the MSL West. Also undefeated in the West are Barrington (3-0) and Conant (2-0).

Freshman Rhiann Dick (2-1) struck out eight and threw a 5-hitter against Vernon Hills as the Pirates broke a 4-4 tie with 1 run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Anna Selleck walked and her courtesy runner Chase Friel stole second base before scoring the decisive run on Emily Brinckerhoff's single.

Amanda Stanczuk (1-for- 2, 2 RBI) and Brittany Padden (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI) led the Pirates' offense.

Junior Sarah Grossman kept her record perfect at 7-0 by striking out 11 and tossing a 3-hitter at Lane Tech.

Brooke Bauer belted 2 homers in the game while going 4-for-4 with 3 RBI.

Other key hitters were teammates Stanczuk (3-for-4, 2 runs) and Brinckerhoff (1-for-2, double, 2 RBI).

The Pirates' biggest inning was the fifth when they scored three times.

Stanczuk, Bauer, Chase Friel (first varsity hit) and Grace Seiffert (RBI) strung together consecutive singles. Brinckerhoff then doubled off the fence to drive in final 2 runs.

The Pirates added 2 more runs in the sixth when Stanczuk singled and Bauer hit her second homer.

Maine West 12, Buffalo Grove 4: Amanda Byrne (3-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 run), Anne Lipinski (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Katelyn Aragon (2-for-5) led the offense for host Maine West (4-5).

Jessica Steingard (3-3) went all 7 innings for the win, striking out two.

Olivia Morini (3-for-4, 2 runs), Jackie Bickhaus (3-for-4, 2 runs) and Lauren Beiersdorf (3-for-4, 3 RBI) led the offense for Buffalo Grove (7-6)

Prospect 4, Glenbrook North 2: Sophomore Madeline Borkowski (1-1) threw a 4-hitter with 3 strikeouts and 1 as the Knights (4-2) won the nonconference game in Northbrook.

Cassie Cunniff (3-for-4) led the Prospect offense which scored once in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings.

Schaumburg splits: The visiting Saxons won the opener 9-0 over Glenbrook South before falling 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh of Game 2

Saxons senior Michelle Birkholz (1-2) notched her first win of the season with a 2-hitter in the opener and she went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.

Teammate Summer Schulz went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while Cate Poplar, Natalie Napier (2 RBIs), Brittney Butt and Talia Torosian each had a hit.

In Game 2, Kaiden Jackson (3-for-4), Birkholz (2-for-4, RBI), Janalee Lyke (2-for-3) were multiple hitters for Schaumburg (3-5). Cate Poplar and Taylor Budrovic (double, RBI) each had a hit for the Saxons.

Rolling Meadows splits: Meadows senior Lydia Schultz (4-4) fired a 4-hitter with 11 strikeouts to defeat visiting Evanston 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. The right-hander did not give up an earned run.

Meadows (5-6) fell behind 2-0 in the top of fourth but came back with all of its runs in the bottom of the inning.

Paige Connor's one-out single to center which scored Elizabeth Elkins proved to be the game-winning RBI as it gave the Mustangs the 3-2 lead.

Amanda Elkins was Meadows' only multiple hitter, going 2-for-3 against the Wildkits.

In Game 2, Evanston freshman Molly Chambers blanked the Mustangs 10-0 in five innings. She threw a 1-hitter after pitching the final two innings of Game 1 where she did now allow a hit.

Lucy Hart had a home run and double for Evanston (10-2).

Amanda Elkins broke up Chambers' no-hit bid with a two-out single to center in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Fremd drops two: Libertyville scored 7 runs in the bottom of the third inning for a 9-0 led and never looked back in a 13-3 nonconference win over Fremd in six innings at the Wildcats' quad.

Lexi D'Ambrosio (RBI, 1 run), Grace Stevens (2 RBI) and Anna Freveletti (1 run) each went 2-for-3 for the Vikings.

Plainfield South posted an 18-11 win over the Vikings (5-3), who were led on offense by Reagan Schneider (3-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 run), Anne Marie O'Sullivan (2-for-4, 2 runs, RBI), Leix D'Ambrosio (3-for-4, triple, 3 RBI, 1 run) and Anna Freveletti (2-for-4, double 2 runs, RBI). Jessica Mazur, Becca Uhrich and Stevens also had doubles.

Elk Grove splits: Elk Grove won the opener 18-8 in six innings and dropped a 15-12 decision in Game 2.

Kylie Thomsen was the winning pitcher in Game 1 as the host Grenadiers scored 7 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the 10-run rule.

Haley Itzenthaler (2 doubles), Katia Pendowski (double) and Keeley Cronin each went 3-for-4 for the Grenadiers while Alexa Fontanetta, Thomsen and Christina Di Maria were each 2-for-4. Teammate Jessica Kearns added a double.

The Grens led 10-5 after 5 innings in Game 2 when the visiting Hawks scored 8 runs in the top of sixth.

Leading the Grens' offense were Itzenthaler (4-for-4), Pendowski (4-for-5, home run, 3 RBI), Kearns (2-for-4, home run) and Sabra Morton (2-for-4).