Barrington edges Conant with dramatic finish

The softball team that seems to somehow always get the job done did it again Wednesday in Hoffman Estates.

Barrington was trailing Conant 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning and down to its last out when sophomore Kiersten Tinkoff walked into the batter's box against Cougars freshman gem Briana Cavin.

One pitch later, Tinkoff was hustling out of the batter's box on her way to circling the bases after crushing a dramatic opposite field 3-run homer over the left field fence to give the Fillies a 5-4 lead.

Sophomore Kiley Dolezal (3-0), who had started the game and was replaced by winner Jordan Wekony (1-0) in the fifth inning, came back to earn the improbable save in the bottom of the seventh.

The Fillies (27-2) improved to 13-1 in the Mid-Suburban West, one game ahead of Fremd (23-2, 11-1).

Cavin (5-10), whose team scored twice in the first and fifth innings, blanked the Fillies offense until catcher Kristin Kuhn's single to center brought home Lindsey Dulla in the sixth inning.

"Sometimes you win on skill, sometimes luck," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. "Today, it was much more luck than skill. To the credit of our team, we didn't give up when we were down 4-0 and that is the sign of every great Barrington team."

It appeared to be a good sign for the Cougars when senior Tricia Kutramanes belted her first career home run in the fifth over the right-center field fence, and three batters later Cavin powered a homer to dead center field for the 4-0 lead.

But the Fillies battled back with the run in the sixth and 4 in the seventh.

Wekony started the seventh-inning rally by reaching on an error. After a strikeout, Colleen Shandley beat out an infield hit.

Lindsey Dulla then reached on another error which brought home Wekony.

Kim Cygan then grounded out to first, moving Shandley to third and Dulla to second.

Tinkoff followed with her fourth homer of the spring.

"I was kind of mad because we were losing and I felt it was my time to do something," Tinkoff said. "It was the first pitch, just like the one I hit (for a double) in the fourth inning."

Conant (9-16, 3-9) hardly gave up in the bottom of the inning.

Amanda VanJacobs led off with a single but while trying for a double was narrowly thrown out by left fielder Wekony.

Lauren Ambrose (2-for-4) then singled sharply to right and stole second.

Dolezal got out of the jam with a deep fly ball to center fielder Dulla and a groundout to third baseman Cygan.

"In my opinion, we were winners," said Conant coach CathyAnn Smith, whose team outhit the visitors 10-6. "We did everything we were supposed to do. The kids worked hard. Barrington is tough and you just can't give them that any many baserunners.

"Our kids gave it their all and left everything on the field. I'm proud of them. Too bad the scoreboard didn't fall in our favor. We hung in there with the best in the state. Our kids have to take that into the postseason."

Elk Grove 2, Buffalo Grove 0: Freshman Dani Goranson (9-0) and junior Stephanie Maday teamed up for a 1-hitter.

Goranson struck out seven in the first four innings while Maday collected 7 strikeouts in the final three innings for the Grenadiers (25-2, 12-1).

A one-out single by Stephanie Dolce (2-for-3) in the first inning scored Jessica Balzano, who had walked.

In the second after two were out, Dani Goranson doubled and scored on Kristy Ottosen's single to center.

Elk Grove's combined no-hitter was spoiled when senior Meg Miller singled to right center with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Maday (1-for-2) got the next batter on a strikeout to end the game.

The only other baserunners for BG (16-14, 4-9) were freshman Ali Levato (hit by a pitch) and senior Lexi Bueno (walk).

Ottosen was robbed of extra bases in the fourth inning when Bison left fielder Andrea DiPrima made an outstanding running catch while racing toward the foul line.

It was breast cancer awareness day and each team wore pink tube socks and the coaches had on pink wrist bands.

Between the BG and Elk Grove fans, a total of $300.53 was raised for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.

Bison coach Laura Stock was also grateful to her grounds crew which had the field ready on short notice so the two teams could play the game originally scheduled for Elk Grove's diamond.