Scouting Cook County softball sectionals
Class 4A
Buffalo Grove sectional
Today's semifinal (4:30 p.m.)
Fremd vs. Warren: Top-seeded Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd (29-4) features the school's all-time winningest pitcher Lena Brottman (79 career wins), who is also the school's all-time strikeout leader with 971. The Vikes have a single-season record of more than 25 home runs. Loyola-bound Lauren Zaworski has 15 for her career while Tess Dinterman, Megan Hubbard and Jenny Schneider each have 6 and Alexa Cinquegrani 5. Zaworski and Cinquegrani each have 40 RBI this season while leadoff batter Kristine Werling has 158 career hits, ranking fourth on Fremd's all-time list. Third baseman Kelly Voigt belted 2 homers with a double, single and 6 RBI in Fremd's 11-0 victory over Prospect in the Vikes' own regional final. Ninth-year coach Jim Weaver owns a career record of 236-80-1 and piloted the Vikes to third place in the 2009 Class 4A state finals. Warren posted a 2-0 triumph over Palatine in the Libertyville regional final. Blue Devils pitcher Kayla Hurd called her defense phenomenal in the game. Hurd struck out 10 while throwing a 2-hitter to catcher Nikki Ponticelli. Warren won its first regional title since 1990. Blue Devils coach Carri McGahan has guided the Blue Devils to a school-record 28 wins against 7 losses. Abby Anderson's towering home run to left made it 2-0 against Palatine in the sixth inning. It was Anderson's seventh homer of the season - the old team record was five in a season - and her third in three games against Palatine this season.
Thursday's semifinal (4:30 p.m.)
Barrington vs. Lake Zurich: Nora Logue, the only starting senior for Barrington (32-5) belted 2 home runs when the Fillies won their ninth consecutive regional crown with a 5-3 victory over Stevenson at Highland Park. Logue, who drove in 4 of the 5 Barrington runs on her 2 long balls, hit 4 home runs during the regular season. Junior pitcher Kiley Dolezal (27-5) is the winningest pitcher in the area. Barrington has 14 regional titles in school history, 11 under coach Perry Peterson (562-130), who guided the Fillies to second place in the 2007 (Class AA) and 2008 (Class 4A) state finals. Lake Zurich (23-11) spotted regional host Zion-Benton a 3-0 lead, then scored 7 unanswered runs and held on to win the championship 7-6. Winning pitcher Megan Mattera (19-10) hit her 12th home run and went 2-for-2 with a double, walk and 2 RBI for Lake Zurich. She also was hit by a pitch. Mattera struck six, walked two and allowed 10 hits in her complete game. Erin Sweeney also had 2 hits for the Bears while Amanda Orchard had a single, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Kelly Neises had a single, run and an RBI. Ella Aslan added a double and Kelli Blume had a base hit, 2 RBI and sacrifice.
Championship: The winner of the two semifinals will meet at 11 a.m. in Saturday's championship. The sectional champion will face the winner of the Niles North sectional at the Rolling Meadows supersectional at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 7.
St. Charles North sectional
Today's semifinal (4:30 p.m.)
Elk Grove vs. Geneva: Top-seeded Elk Grove (33-4) is one win shy of setting a single-season record for wins. The Grens have already set a single-season record for home runs with more than 30. Senior shortstop Olivia Roback, sophomore catcher Devan Parkison and junior center fielder Kristen Cetkovic each belted 2-run homers in the Grens' 9-1 regional championship victory over Schaumburg. Eastern Illinois-bound senior pitcher Stephanie Maday (16-2) and sophomore Dani Goranson (17-2) combined for the win. Grens junior second baseman Jessica Balzano has hit safely in all 34 games she has played this season for Hall of Fame coach Ken Grams, who won his 700th career game a month ago. Grams, a 30-year veteran, directed Elk Grove to second place in the 1982 Class AA state finals. No. 12 seeded Geneva (21-16) is in a sectional for the first time since 2005 after upsetting No. 5 Glenbard North and No. 4 Lake Park 4-2 (eight innings) in the Lancers own regional. Geneva pitchers Kristyn Ruitenberg and McCaffrey held the potent lineups of Glenbard North and Lake Park to 3 runs over 15 innings in two games.
Advancement: The winner of the Elk Grove-Geneva semifinal plays the winner of Thursday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal between No. 15 York and No. 3 West Chicago. The champion of the St. Charles North sectional will meet the champion of the Huntley sectional at the Judson University (Elgin) supersectional at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 7.
Niles North sectional
Thursday's semifinal (4:30 p.m.):
Leyden vs. Glenbrook North: No. 2 seeded Leyden (30-6) notched its fifth regional championship and first since 2004 with a 15-3 victory over Evanston in five innings. The Eagles enter the game with a 13-game winning streak under coach Kurt Schuett. Sophomore pitcher Morgan Maize (22-3) threw a 9-hitter with 5 strikeouts and also went 2-for-3 with a grand slam against Evanston. Other top hitters were Christina Morgan (2-for-4), Dana Thomas (2-for-3), Ciara Mackey (2-for-2, double), April Markowski (1-2, double), Dana Sullivan (1-for-3) and Moira Quinlan (1-for-1). Glenbrook North senior pitcher Sammy Roth (19-3), a Cornell recruit, struck out 15 batters and allowed only five hits as the No. 3 Spartans edged No. 6 Niles West 3-1 in the Prosser regional final, which was moved to Glenbrook South in Glenview. Roth pitched 11 scoreless innings in the playoffs before giving up her first run in the seventh inning. The Spartans (23-6) had lost to Niles West 7-3 on April 30 when Roth came into that game as a reliever and did not figure into the decision.
Advancement: The winner of the Leyden-Glenbrook North game meets the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between top-seeded New Trier and No. 5 Loyola at 11 a.m. Saturday for the championship. The Niles North sectional champion will face the Buffalo Grove sectional champion at the Rolling Meadows supersectional on Monday, June 7 at 7 p.m.
Class 3A
DeKalb sectional
Today's semifinal (4:30 p.m.)
St. Viator vs. Sycamore: St. Viator (20-17) is enjoying one of its finest seasons in school history. The Lions' 20 wins are a school record and their 8-3 win over Burlington Central last week gave them their first regional crown. Junior pitcher Julie Sweeney earned the win as St. Viator scored 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 3-2 deficit. Sweeney also went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles. No. 3 seeded Sycamore upset No. 1 Kaneland Saturday in the Sycamore regional. "We look forward to playing in the sectionals at this next level of competition," said Lions coach Dan Twarog, an alumnus of St. Viator who is in his seventh season. "We are sure Sycamore is a quality team. We must play our best game of the year in order to have a chance of winning. We understand that they are well coached and have good hitters throughout their lineup. We look forward to this next challenge."
Advancement: The winner of the St. Viator-Sycamore game meets the winner of Thursday's semifinal between Yorkville and Geneseo at 11 a.m. Saturday. The champion of the DeKalb sectional meets the champion of the Prairie Ridge sectional in the Marengo supersectional at 4:30 P.M. on Monday, June 7.