Softball: Lake Park’s Fritzler shuts out Glenbard North as Lancers move into second place in DuKane
The DuKane Conference softball standings Wednesday morning had the top four teams separated by just a game and a half with front-runner St. Charles North at 8-1 traveling to rival St. Charles East, who was tied for second at 8-2 with Lake Park.
In the meantime, the Lancers hosted defending DuKane titlist Glenbard North who came in at 7-3 in conference play entering their contest at Lake Park's East campus diamond in Medinah Wednesday afternoon.
"This conference is so strong," Lancers coach and LP softball alum Lynsey Gunnells said after her squad held off the visiting Panthers 2-0.
"There are no off days. You got to be on every day. We're in the thick of it now."
With the win in tandem with St. Charles North's 3-1 win at St. Charles East (22-7, 8-3), the Lancers (17-6, 9-2) moved into sole possession of second in the DuKane a game back of the North Stars (18-1, 9-1).
Lake Park drew first on the scoreboard in its initial at-bat when junior shortstop Grace Rosario singled and scored three batters later courtesy of freshman first baseman Maya Melendez's RBI double for a 1-0 Lancers lead.
Rosario spoke of how she was able to successfully read Glenbard North starting hurler Avery Miller as compared to her first meeting on April 17.
"When I (faced) her first, she was throwing a lot of changeups so I was looking for the first pitch to see what she was throwing and my goal was to go to the (third base) hole so I'd get on base,“ Rosario said.
That score remained until the bottom of the Lake Park sixth when Melendez drew a walk and advanced to second on a stolen base. That set up senior third baseman Alex Kiefer as the Illinois State recruit doubled her home for a 2-0 advantage.
In between both Lancers runs, Rosario snared a liner off the bat of the Panthers’ Gianna Frcek in the top of the fourth and turned it into a double play when Glenbard North (13-6, 7-4) had runners on first and third.
"I just saw it and I wanted to make a play for my pitcher," Rosario said.
That starting Lancers hurler, junior Kaylee Fritzler, threw a shutout allowing only two hits while her North counterpart Miller also went the distance allowing just 5 hits with a strikeout.
"We came out here and played a good team today," Panthers coach Josh Sanew said. "Our bats didn't quite come through. Tip your hat to their pitcher. Hey, it happens."