Cygan, MSL West prevail in All-Star Game

For the past two seasons, Barrington first base coach Jon Sander has been flipping the ball to Fillies pitcher Kim Cygan as she came to mound every inning.

Cygan played her final game as a Barrington softball player Monday night in the 16th annual Mid-Suburban League Senior All-Star Game at the Fields of Dreams.

Instead of being on the field to toss Cygan the ball, Sander was handling the announcer's duties for the showcase event.

And when it ended with the MSL West rallying for a 6-2 victory over the East, Sander was able to flip on the microphone and announce that Cygan won the Nancy Frisk Most Valuable Player Award.

"It was a lot of fun playing on my home field for my last high school game," said Cygan, who retired six of the seven batters she faced in the fifth and sixth innings, went 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and single and was hit by a pitch. "It's really fun being out there with players from all the different teams. It's just a really relaxing and fun game."

"You can always count on Kim," Sander said. "She is so steady and dependable."

The East jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning when Elk Grove's Caitlin Garrison belted a two-out, bases-loaded double to right-center that scored courtesy runner Maddy Urban and Meg Miller.

The West cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third when Casey Latal of Fremd's Class 4A third-place team led off with a double down the left-field line.

She came home when Kelsey Kuhn reached on an error and advanced to second base on the play.

But Elk Grove's Krystina Leazer prevented further damage, getting 2 strikeouts and a nice running catch by right fielder Libby Marsh of Rolling Meadows for the final out.

Leazer and teammate Stephanie Dolce shared the pitching duties for the East.

Missy Anderson (retired final seven batters she faced in the first three innings), Kaitlin Walsh (perfect fourth inning) and Latal (retired three of four batters in the seventh) joined Cygan and Anderson as the West hurlers.

Including Kim Gulik, Amanda Mertes and catcher Nikki Goranson, MSL champ Elk Grove had six of the East's 12 players.

"It was fun having so many of my teammates here," said Garrison, who made a nice 4-3 double play in the fifth inning. "I played three different positions (second, short and third) and I was so terrified at third base. But it's a fun game."

The West had fun in the bottom of the sixth when it scored 5 runs to win the contest.

Sarah McGinn (Schaumburg), Dana Butler (Conant), Anderson and Walsh all drew walks, and Cygan was hit by a pitch in the inning.

Lindsey Dulla (Barrington) had a bunt single and Alex Wulbecker (Hoffman Estates) singled to left. Colleen Roberts of Hoffman Estates and Kristina Gluth of Conant also reached base in the inning and scored.