Elk Grove Grens grab 2 wins

When the wind howled just right, it felt like "2-0" below.

When the count reached 2-0, Kayla Mahoney provided some mo' -- and an extra breeze.

Elk Grove's veteran hitter took a hearty swing and slugged a momentum-changing grand slam over the center-field fence at the Fields of Dreams. Her homer highlighted the Grenadiers' 11-1 win over Mundelein in the first of each team's two games in sunny-but-chilly Barrington on Saturday.

"It's been colder," said Mahoney, claiming Saturday was warmer than when Elk Grove opened its season the previous week with a 6-2 win over the host school at Fenton.

When Mahoney stepped into the batter's box against Mustangs starter Leslie Harshey in the bottom of the third inning, the Grenadiers were up 2-0 thanks to back-to-back errors. Jamie Campus, Brittany Tranchita and Amanda Mertes (2-for-2) had started the rally with singles, loading the bases with one out.

"I got up to my favorite count -- 2-0 -- so I was ready to hit the ball," Mahoney said. "I made adjustments. I moved up in the box, and I was just confident that I was going to hit the ball. I just knew that there were runners on and I wanted to get them in."

She did by ripping Harshey's next pitch, a thigh-high fastball, over the fence to make it a 6-0 game. It was the fourth homer in Mahoney's three-year varsity career and first grand slam.

She said she prefers hitting with a 2-0 count even more than a 3-0 count.

"Because 3-0 you're kind of supposed to take the pitch," Mahoney said. "You got to be more careful on 3-0. You know on 2-0 that the pitcher won't want to get up to 3-0 so (she's) going to want to pitch a strike."

Nikki Goranson followed Mahoney's blast with a single. Two batters later, Campus doubled home courtesy runner Kristy Ottosen with her second hit of the inning, capping a 7-run frame.

Goranson smoked an RBI double in the fourth and ended the game in the sixth with a two-out, run-scoring single, making it a 10-run margin.

Goranson finished 3-for-4 -- after going 3-for-3 in the Grenadiers' season opener against Fenton. She also got off to a fast start last season, she said.

"It's just confidence, really," Goranson said, "knowing that I can hit hard, if I want to."

Elk Grove sophomore Stephanie Maday pitched a 6-inning complete game, striking out nine, walking one and allowing 3 hits.

Maday had a no-hitter until Kaitlin Yoder belted an opposite-field homer down the right-field line with two out in the fourth.

Carla Wilson and Ashley Castro had the only other hits for Mundelein in its season opener.

Elk Grove 6, Stevenson 1: Elk Grove's Krystina Leazer began her third varsity pitching campaign with the only result she knows.

A win.

The right-hander ran her career record to 10-0 with a 6-1 victory over Stevenson in Elk Grove's second game of the Barrington quad.

Leazer, who was ill when the Grenadiers opened their season last week with a victory over Fenton, got all the run support she would need in the fourth inning when her offense struck for 4 runs.

Elk Grove coach Ken Grams pointed to a pair of big plays which really ignited the big inning.

"First, Nikki Goranson (junior) ran like crazy to beat a throw and avoid a double play," he said. "If they get the double play, we don't get the rest of that inning. Second, Brittany Tranchita (junior) put down a beautiful slap single to set up everything."

Junior Amber Hane (2-for-3, sacrifice fly, 2 RBI), senior Jamie Campus (2-for-4) and junior Stephanie Dolce (2-for-3) had multiple hits for the Grenadiers.

Freshman Jessica Balzano was 1-for-1 with a triple and 2 walks. Balzano also had a hit in the Grenadiers' opener at Fenton.

"She's a good player," Grams said. "She has good game sense and is very softball-minded."

"This has been exciting," Balzano said. "Everyone has been so nice to me."

Annalise Dotel and Katie Loerch each went 2-for-3 for Stevenson, which had 8 hits.

Coach Larry Friedrich's Patriots were making its first appearance outdoors this spring.

The Patriots, Mundelein, Elk Grove and Barrington have all been downstate at least once in the state softball tournament. Barrington has six appearances, followed by Mundelein (3), Stevenson (2) and Elk Grove (1).

"That's what makes this quad special," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. "We've got some real history in these softball programs. The kids are always enthusiastic and want to come out and play. It's just a super day for softball."

The Barrington softball parents provided plenty of food for all those on hand in between games.

"I'm just so grateful that Barrington was able to provide us the opportunity to play games here this weekend," said Grams, whose team (3-0) had played just once before Saturday. "I thought our kids played well and our pitchers threw well."

-- John Leusch