Big first inning holds up for Leyden

After one inning of Friday’s Class 4A Conant softball regional semifinal, No. 6 Leyden led No. 11 Wheaton North 2-1.

The score never changed as the No. 6 Eagles (26-7) advanced into today’s 11 a.m. championship against No. 3 Conant (27-2).

Rachel Holaway singled in Tiffany Gaimari for Wheaton North’s only run.

Leyden answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring both runs after two were out.

Junior ace Morgan Maize reached on a fielder’s choice and Dana Sullivan followed with a single up the middle. A walk to Moira Quinlan loaded the bases.

Denise Moran then drove in Maize for the tying run and Sullivan was able to score on an error for the second run.

Maize threw a 5-hitter with 9 strikeouts and no walks.

April Markowski and Sullivan were 1-for-3 for Leyden while Brigid Mackey and Moran were 1-for-2.

Mundelein 6, Buffalo Grove 1: No. 10 Mundelein scored 1 run in each of the first three innings and never looked back in winning the semifinal of its own Class 4A regional.

No. 8 Buffalo Grove finished its season at 16-15.

Mundelein will face top-seeded Fremd (26-5-1) for the regional crown today at 10 a.m.