Softball: Huntley gets by Lake Zurich
The fight for the other slot in the Class 4A Barrington softball sectional final against the host Fillies came down to a pair of teams in Lake Zurich and Huntley who wore more alike with both teams entering Tuesday having won 11 of their last 14.
Also, both had been runners-up in their respective leagues with the Red Raiders finishing tied with Prairie Ridge in the Fox Valley and the Bears finishing right behind North Suburban co-titlists Warren and Mundelein.
But when it came down to crunchtime it would be co-sectional top-seeded Huntley's ability to get the jump on Lake Zurich early. The Red Raiders got past the Bears 13-1 to earn that ticket to Saturday's 11 a.m. title game versus the other sectional No. 1 seeded Fillies.
It will mark the 10th consecutive spring that both programs have met in the postseason with Barrington having won 6 of the previous 9 meetings.
Barrington (35-0) defeated Rockton Hononegah (26-7) 6-1 in game one at the Fillies' Field Of Dreams home diamond.
"We just defenitely wanted to bring energy from the start," Huntley senior first baseman Lyla Ginczycki said.
"We knew that thisc oukl not be our last game (because) we want to keep going. Everyone here wants it, so we had everyone picking each other up. Being loud in the dugout and just not letting the pressure get to us."
The Red Raiders (27-8) got going on their first at-bat with a four spot that saw Ginczycki drive in two of those runs on a double.
After the Bears (20-11) scored their lone run off an RBI double by center fielder Oli76ivia Slawny, Huntley expanded their advantage with three more runs in the top of the third featuring an RBI single from junior right fielder Lana Hobday that had them ahead 7-1.
Next came an RBI sacrifice fly from Red Raider freshman left fielder Piper Heimbrodt in the top of the fourth making it an 8-1 Huntley lead.
Heimbrodt would play a key role in a five-run outburst in the top of the 7th with a three-run jack over the center field wall that closed out the scoring as it finished the evening with 16 hits.
Meanwhile, Red Raider junior hurler Layla Olson went the distance fanning six as she allowed just five hits.
"If you look at us, we're a road team," Huntley Coach Mark Petryniec said.
"We don't play that many home games, so this team is prepared for this situation. It (also) helps giving your pitcher a 3-run lead early in the first inning."
For Lake Zurich coach Nicole Pieper, it ended up being a positive experience for her unit that has eight underclassmen on their varsity roster and at one point was 9-7.
"Our team has been fighting all season long," Pieper said.
"We told them to stay poised and control the things they could control. Today Huntley (was) hitting the ball hard, finding the gaps and taking advantage."