Softball: Hersey holds slim lead over Elk Grove in suspended game
Hersey senior Amelia Meyer had the green light but unfortunately a few minutes later the Thor-Guard guard put up the red light for the Mid-Suburban East softball game on Wednesday in Arlington Heights.
On a 3-0 count, Meyer smacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the third inning to draw Hersey into a 4-4 tie with visiting Elk Grove.
Four batters later, with two outs, junior second baseman McKenna Menczywor shot a single up the middle to score Kate Adamski and give the Huskies a 5-4 lead.
However, that's when the Thor-Guard stopped play and with darkness quickly ensuing, the game had to be postponed to either Thursday (weather permitting) or next Tuesday.
"I try to encourage our players to be aggressive," said Hersey coach Molly Freeman of Meyer's second homer of the season (her first was against Fremd). "As long as they're feeling it, we believe in our hitters. She had the green light. Amelia has been playing great and she is dynamite in the outfield for us."
Coach Ken Grams' Grenadiers (5-6, 1-4) struck first when seniors Amanda Koszewski and Megan Malartsik led off the second with base hits to right and left field and both came home to score for a 2-0 advantage.
Hersey (6-3, 1-2) evened the score in the bottom half of the inning when Amanda Frankenberger led off with a single to center. Adamski reached on an error and Reese Bowden followed with an RBI single down the right-field line to score Frankenberger.
Menczywor's infield hit drove home Adamski for the 2-2 tie before Grens sophomore pitcher Aliya Garcia retired the next three batters.
Elk Grove went back ahead 4-2 in the third.
After a popout, junior Ariana Trausch and senior Ashleigh Schwartz put together back-to-back singles to left field.
Koszewski reached on a fielder's choice in which Trausch beat the throw home for a 3-2 lead.
After a strikeout by Hersey ace Sabrina DeVito, who struck out the side in the first inning, sophomore Hannah Kugelberg lined a single to left to score Schwartz, making it 4-2.
DiVito led off the bottom of the third with an infield hit and Meyers proceeded to blast her homer over the left-center field fence, scoring pinch runner Maddie Untiedt.
When the game resumes, Hersye will have Menczywor on first base with two outs.
Other than Meyers' blast, the only other extra-base hit was a double to left by Hersey third baseman Brooke Scharlau (7 homers on the season) in the first inning.
However, EG sophomore pitcher Aliya Garcia got the next two batters on a fly out to center fielder Schwartz and a groundout to third baseman Lexi Goeringer, who singled in the first inning.