Podgorski uses speed to beat Spartans

The Lauren Podgorski-Julie Fonda mutual admiration society isn't ready to break up just yet.

It will happen soon enough, of course, when the season ends, but that day didn't come Wednesday. Podgorski scored twice to lead Glenbard South past St. Francis 4-0 in the Class 3A Glenbard South sectional semifinals.

"She had a great day, and hopefully it carries on," Fonda, the Raiders' coach, said of her senior center fielder and leadoff hitter. "She's just a baller. I told her before the game even started I wasn't done coaching her and she goes, 'Well, I'm not done playing you.' It was nice."

Podgorski was a thorn in the Spartans' side all game. In the first inning she dumped a single into right field, went to second on a Brianna Meath sacrifice bunt, to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Jennifer Wittenberg safety squeeze bunt.

"I've said it in the past: We go as she goes, and they didn't defend what we're known for," Fonda said. "That was a little surprising to me."

It happened almost the same way in the third inning, when the Raiders went up 2-0. This time Podgorski walked, went to second on another Meath sacrifice, stole third and scored on another Wittenberg squeeze bunt.

"The small ball usually works with us," Podgorski said. "We have speed and we know how to use it."

"We played a great game. We did everything we had to defensively, but they beat us," Spartans coach Ralph Remus said. "We didn't beat ourselves. They beat us, and we have no regrets. They're a nice team, and we just couldn't control who we had to control."

Podgorski had the Raiders' only 2 hits, including a fifth-inning triple, until the sixth, when her teammates loaded the bases. Amanda Fazzari drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Wittenberg.

In the seventh Amanda Straka reached base on an infield hit and scored on Meath's double.

"We had the momentum going, but we felt kind of a lull so in the sixth inning with the bases loaded we knew we had to try to get another run to stay in it," Podgorski said. "The last run in the seventh inning, it just helped a lot."

Freshman Danielle Chitkowski - who no-hit the Spartans earlier in the season but was pulled for precautionary reasons after being called for a couple of illegal pitches - and sophomore Jess Wilkes combined on the shutout, with Wilkes (12-4) getting the win, striking out 8 in the final 41/3 innings.

"She did a nice job," Fonda said of Wilkes. "She moves the ball around, hits her spots. (Catcher Jackie) Wrona did a nice job calling the game and studying the past game and knowing what pitches to call against their batters."

The Spartans (26-7) stranded 7 runners, including five runners in scoring position.

"We just couldn't get the big hit when we needed it," Remus said. "Give them credit: the pitching was tough."

Glenbard South will play in the sectional final at 1 p.m. Saturday against the winner of today's game between Montini and Riverside-Brookfield.