Conant gets its message across

Before Monday’s Mid-Suburban League softball game with visiting Barrington, Conant coach CathyAnn Smith had a message for her first-place Cougars.

“We told them that this was the start of the second round of conference and that teams would be looking for us,” she said.

After an impressive 10-0 win in five innings, teams in the West are still all looking up at Conant.

The Cougars (21-1, 10-1) retained their one-game lead over Fremd (20-2-1, 9-2) with five to play. Barrington (20-10, 8-4) is in third place.

Conant junior ace Briana Cavin (17-1) was nearly perfect, striking out 11, including seven in a row.

The only baserunner she allowed was senior Liz Owen, who bounced a single up the middle with one out in the top of the fifth inning.

“When we looked at the field (Monday morning) it was pouring rain,” Cavin said. “We were surprised we even got on the field for this game.”

Not only were they on the field, the Cougars were on their game — right from the very first inning.

After Cavin got an assist and 2 strikeouts in the top of the first, the Cougars gave her 4 runs in the bottom half.

Briana’s sister, Miranda, clubbed her third homer of the season, a 2-run shot over the left-field fence. She battled hard in the at-bat, fouling off 5 full-count pitches.

“It was an inside pitch,” Miranda said. “It felt good.”

After the blast, Kim Jacobson (1-for-2) walked and Paige Ward (2-for-3, 2 RBI) who was Conant’s winning pitcher against Niles West on Saturday in Game 2, singled to left.

Sophomore Sarah Thompson (2-for-2, 3 RBI) then drove a 2-run double to right center for the 4-0 cushion.

“Barrington is a really good team,” Briana Cavin said. “Those 4 runs in the first inning really gave us the intensity for the rest of the game.”

No. 2 hitter Hilary O’Donnell went 4-for-4 for the Cougars and scored the run that ended the game.

She singled to lead off the fifth, stole second and made it all the way home on an error.

“Once we got past that first win against Barrington (7-6 earlier this season, it gave us confidence for this time,” said Cougars shortstop Allie Bauch, who made a nice play to take away a hit from Kristin Kuhn in the top of the fifth.

Freshman Rachel O’Malley went 1-for-2 for Conant and was robbed of a hit in the first inning on a sprawling grab by Owen in left.

“It was a big game for both teams,” said Barrington coach Perry Peterson, who received 5 strikeouts from senior pitcher Kiley Dolezal (16-7). “We tried our very best but obviously our very best wasn’t good enough against them.

“Credit Conant. Its pitching was impressive and the team did a nice job. We’ll go back to work (today).”

Smith was very proud of her team’s composure.

“Barrington is an outstanding team,” she said. “There is no room for errors or mistakes. Our girls played real hard and I give them credit for their composure and patience all the way.”

Miranda Cavin’s long home run at-bat was a perfect example.

“She is probably one of our best pitch-selection hitters,” Smith said. “It’s the second year in a row she is our cleanup hitter and there’s a reason for that. She said she was going to help her sister win this game and she did.”