Conant's youth serves up win at Schaumburg

Trailing 2-1 and down to its last out with nobody on base, Conant pulled out a dramatic victory at Schaumburg Wednesday.

Two freshmen and a sophomore strung together 3 consecutive two-out hits for 2 runs in the top of the seventh and those runs held up for the Cougars' 3-2 win in the Mid-Suburban West softball game.

The rally started with freshman catcher Kim Jacobson singling to right field.

Next came classmate Briane Cavin's long double to the left field fence which brought home pinch-runner Hannah Depa.

Then it was sophomore Paige Ward who belted a double to center that got home Cavin with what proved to be the winning run.

After Saxons ace Missy Anderson got the final batter on a ground out to second baseman Brianne Lingl, Cavin returned to the mound for Conant.

The rookie right-hander proceeded to complete a 5-hitter when senior third baseman Nichole Gross made a nice over-the-shoulder catch while hustling to her right on a pop foul.

"It was nice to come back from our loss (6-1 to Fremd on Monday)," Gross said. "We knew we had to stay focused until the end and then hold them in the last inning to no runs."

Cavin (5-5) wound up with 11 strikeouts and did not walk a batter.

"I was excited, not nervous," said Cavin about the hard-fought win. "I was just trying to do my best."

"Briana's bat had been quiet so that was a big hit for her," said Conant coach CathyAnn Smith of Cavin's towering double in the seventh inning which tied the game. "Briana took charge on the mound today. She kept motivating the whole team.

"Paige Ward really sparked us off the bench (got on base twice). It was a total team effort. The kids all pulled together."

Missy Anderson (8-4), who struck out eight, kept the Saxons (9-7, 4-3) in the game by tossing a no-hitter until the fifth when junior Vicki McGuire led off with a single up the middle.

McGuire eventually scored on an infield error to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Schaumburg scored both its runs in the first inning.

Alexis Carravetta led off with a double to right center and came home on Aly Poehlmann's triple to center.

Poehlmann then scored while tagging up on Nicole Chase's fly out to right field.

Poehlmann, who entered the game batting .588 in the conference, went 3-for-3.

Anderson had the only other hit for the hosts with a two-out single in the bottom of the second.

"We gave the game to them,"said Saxons coach Erin Malinowski. "You've got to be able to execute defensively for seven innings. Conant is too good of a team to give runs to. But they hit the ball and they didn't give up. So you've got to give them credit."

Prospect 5, Buffalo Grove 4: Freshman Hanna Lythberg fired a 8-hitter with 5 strikeouts and also went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double as the host Knights (4-16, 2-5) won their second straight game in the MSL East.

Other top hitters were Amanda Mlikan (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Nicole Naranjo (double) and Katie Dillon (RBI).

Emily Begnel (2-for-3, double) and Andrea DiPrima (double) each went 2-for-3 for the Bison (10-10, 2-6).

Hersey 5, Rolling Meadows 1: Alyssa Kieffer (2-for-3), Kari Tunney (2-for-2) and Stacey Schmiederer (sacrifice fly) led the offense of host Hersey (5-11, 4-3).

Junior Kristy Johnson struck out six to pick up the win while classmate Aubrey Fulton threw the final inning with 2 strikeouts.

Fremd 5, Palatine 0: Mid-Suburban West leader Fremd (16-1, 6-0) blanked the visiting Pirates (9-8, 3-4) behind junior Lena Brottman's 1-hitter. The no-hitter was broken up by Alyx Ballenger's double down the left field line with one out in the seventh inning.

Brottman (12-1) was perfect to that point and finished by facing 22 batters. She struck out 12.

Senior Jessica Tackett (double), junior Tess Dinterman (double), junior Kristine Werling (3-for-4, 3 stolen bases) and junior Emily Janes (2-for-3) led the Vikings offense.

Janes also caught Brottman's near perfect game.

Barrington 3, Hoff. Estates 0: Barrington (21-2, 7-1) scored 3 runs in the top of the seventh as Kristin Kuhn and Nora Logue had RBI doubles and Elizabeth Owen an RBI single.

Kim Cygan (19-2) threw a 3-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Colleen Roberts was 2-for-3 with a walk while Linden Fick had the only other hit for the host Hawks (4-11, 1-6).

Elk Grove 5, Wheeling 0: Freshman Dani Goranson (7-0) and senior Krystina Leazer combined for a 1-hitter and sophomore Jessica Balzano (2-for-4, 3 RBI) belted 2 home runs over the left-field fence for host Elk Grove (18-1, 6-0).

Amanda Mertes (3-for-4, 2 runs, double) and Nikki Goranson (2-for-4, RBI) were other multiple hitters for the Grenadiers.

Sarah Korecky had the only hit for Wheeling (2-11, 0-7) in the sixth inning.

Dani Goranson struck out 10 in the first four innings while Leazer recorded 6 strikeouts in the final three.

St. Viator 4, Carmel 0: Julie Sweeney (3-6) threw a 5-hitter with 4 strikeouts and 1 walks for the host Lions (7-12, 1-5).

Sweeney also sparked the offense with a triple, double and 2 RBI.

Tayler Lenart and Alyssa Wojciak also collected RBI for the Lions in the ESCC contest.