Young Bison make the grade

Buffalo Grove may have six prominent freshmen on its softball roster this spring, but the Bison have been playing like seasoned veterans lately.

They won their seventh straight game on Saturday, defeating Loyola 4-3 to win the championship of their own four-team invite.

Senior catcher Katie Lee singled home freshman Mallory Smith to cap a 3-run rally in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior Meg Miller started the dramatic comeback with a single, followed by senior Katie Kowall's slap single.

Junior Dayna George recorded an RBI groundout for the first run and Smith's triple to right brought home Kowall for the 3-3 tie.

Freshman Andrea DiPrima earned the win while classmate K.C. Dunne was 3-for-3 with a walk in the seventh inning.

Freshman Emily Begnel (2-1) notched the win in BG's 8-2 triumph over Grayslake North.

Miller (2-for-4) and junior Lexi Bueno (2-for-3) led the offense.

The Bison also defeated Antioch 10-0, getting a 2-hitter by DiPrima (5-4).

Senior shortstop Stephanie Rudolfi blasted a 3-run homer over the left-field fence to set the tone in the bottom of the first.

The game ended on Lee's line drive grand slam over the left-field fence with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning (10-run rule). It was Lee's third homer of the season

DiPrima (2-for-3), Lee (2-for-3), Rudolfi (2-for-3) and Kowall (2-for-3) led the Bison offense.

BG (10-9) went above .500 for the first time this season.

Elgin tourney: ŒPalatine (9-7) took third place in the Larkin Slugfest by defeating Chatham Glenwood 5-4.

The Pirates (2-1 in the tourney) edged Chatham Glenwood with 2 runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Bre Quaritsch's single to center brought home freshman Katie Mnichowicz (slap single) and senior Nikki Linares (bunt single) with two outs.

Linares (2-for-3, 3 runs), Amy Modic (2-for-4) and Mnichowicz (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases) helped pave the way on offense.

Junior ace Anne Wcislo struck out seven and walked two while tossing a 6-hitter for the win.

Palatine and Wcislo (7-4) also defeated Oak Lawn 13-6 as Wcislo (2-for-2), Heather Zimmerman (2-for-4), Linares (3-for-5), Caitlin Carpenter (2-for-5), Joanne Jablonski (3-for-4) and Quaritsch (2-for-4) led the offense.

Lincoln-Way Central stopped the Pirates 11-1 in five innings.

Linares, an all-tourney selection, went 2-for-3 in that game while Carpenter and Quaritsh had the other 2 hits for the Pirates.

Fremd sweeps Cary-Grove: Fremd (15-1) added two more wins with 7-0 and 10-7 victories in Cary.

Fremd second baseman Lauren Zaworski went 7-for-8 in the two games while teammate Kristine Werling was 5-for-6 and Jessica Tackett 5-of-8.

Sophomore Lena Brottman (12-1) fired a 5-hitter in the opener with 13 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Tackett (3-for-4, 5 RBI, 2 runs) blasted a 3-run homer over the left-center field fence in the top of the seventh to cap the scoring.

Zaworski was 3-for-4 with a 2 runs and a stolen base while Werling went 2-for-3 with a triple and 1 run.

Junior Casey Latal (3-0) earned the win in Game 2 with 4 strikeouts.

Werling (3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 3 stolen bases), Stacey Stutzman (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Zaworski (4-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI), Jenny Schneider (3-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, 2 stolen base) and Tackett (2-for-4, 1 run, double) led the offense.

Maine West sweeps Washington: Maine West (15-2) won its 15th straight game as the Warriors won 10-1 and 20-2 in Des Plaines.

Junior Emily Ott (10-1) missed a perfect game by a one-out walk in the second inning.

She struck out 15, two shy of her season-high 17 against Hersey. Ott also tripled in the game.

Nicole Eisenberg (2-for-4, home run), Michelle Braun (2-for-4, double), Katie Lowe (3-for-3) and Jenna Depa (2-for-4) led the Warriors' offense.

Freshman left-hander Amanda Wessell (4-0) fired a 2-hitter in Game 2 with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Wessell also went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and 6 RBI.

Other top Warrior hitters were Jackie Janecek (2-for-3), Ott (2-for-2), Kaleigh McGing (3-for-3) and Maggie Ehorn (3-for-3, double). Depa and Kim Morales each had doubles.

Washington tourney: Because of rain in downstate Washington on Friday, the Fillies had to play all four of their games on Saturday.

The games were all shortened to five innings.

It turned out to be a tough day for the Fillies (18-5), who dropped three of their four contests on the last at bats by their opponents (two in extra innings where the international tiebreaker rules were enforced).

Coincidentally, Barrington's one victory over the host Panthers came on a walk-off double by Jessica McGurn (2-for-3, 2 RBI).

The senior second baseman drove home Kim Cygan and Michal Jane Maropis for the 3-1 victory.

Cygan (18-5) got the win in relief.

Joliet edged the Fillies 2-1 as Maropis had the Fillies only hit and run. She scored from third base in the fourth inning on a double steal.

Cygan gave up just 3 hits as the Fillies lost on a walk-off bunt and error.

Streator edged the Fillies 3-2, winning on a walk-off single to right field with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Fillies had tied the game at 2-2 on an RBI single by Cygan which brought home freshman Colleen Shandley.

New Trier stopped the Fillies 2-1.

Maporis's double down the left field line brought home Lisa Shandley for the Fillies' run in the top of the sixth.

But the Trevians answered with Molly Spence's one-out 2-run single in the bottom of the inning.

Elk Grove 6, Lane Tech 4:ΠElk Grove (19-1) bounced back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit to stop the Chicago Public League power.

Stephanie Maday (13-1) earned the win in relief as freshman Jessica Balzano tripled and doubled for the Grenadiers.

An RBI double by Kayla Mahoney and Olivia Roback's RBI groundout to second brought the hosts to within 4-2 in the fourth inning.

The Mid-Suburban East leaders put the game away with 4 runs in the fifth when Balzano started it off with her triple.

She came home to score along with Stephanie Dolce, Kristy Ottosen and Mahoney. Roback capped the 4-run rally with a one-out single to right-center scoring Mahoney.

Wheeling sweeps Maine East: Visiting Wheeling (4-11) took a pair, 10-0 in six innings and 15-2 in five innings.

Winning pitcher Carly Speidel (3-for-4, triple, 3 RBI), Nicole Schroeder (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Becky Menelle (2- for-4, RBI, run walk), Annemarie Spiezia (2-for-5, 2 runs) helped lead the Wildcats' offense.

Speidel threw a 1-hitter with 12 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Tori Menelle fired a 1-hitter in Game 2 with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Scout Scanlon (4-for-5, 2 RBI), Speidel (4-for-4, double, RBI), Cheryl Bauer (3-for-3, double, 2 walks) were among top offensive performers.

Prospect sweeps Stevenson: Prospect (11-5) won the opener with a 2-0 shutout from Sheri Weidner, who struck out six and tossed a 2-hitter.

Amy Varner and Cyndi Becker each went 2-for-3 for the host Knights.

Mary Kate Ward singled home Varner in the first and Amanda Mlikan's single in the fourth scored Becker.

The Knights posted a 5-2 win in Game 2 as Weidner (11-5) came back with a 6-hitter, striking out six and walking two.

Becker was 2-for-3 and scored 2 runs while Varner, Ward and Mlikan scored the other 3 runs.

Schaumburg, Niles West split: Schaumburg fell 3-1 in the opener but Heather Gustafson (2-2) threw a 7-hitter for a 13-3 win in Game 2.

Nicole Chase (2-for-4), Sarah McGinn (3-for-4) and Anjelica Hager (3-for-4) led the Saxons (9-7).

Brianne Lingl was 2-for-4 in the opener and McGinn had a double.

St. Charles East tourney: Hoffman Estates went 2-1 in the tourney which was reduced to three games because of Friday's rain.

"It was a good tournament," Hawks coach Lindsey Hamma said of her team's second-place finish. "We did some good things."

The Hawks (5-13-1) recorded win over West Aurora (8-5) and Freeport (9-1).

"We did the little things in that game and were confident," Hamma said of the Hawks' game against West Aurora. "That was a good one for us."