Softball/Fox Valley roundup
Bartlett’s shot at the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division softball championship got derailed Saturday when the Hawks lost to Metea Valley 3-0.
Coupled with Lake Park’s 4-3 win over Neuqua Valley, Bartlett is now 2 games back in the title chase but the Lancers have just two league games to play. The 14-3 Lancers visit Bartlett (11-5) on Monday and can take the title outright win a win. Even if Bartlett, which last won a UEC title in 2008, wins Monday, Lake Park’s final conference game is against winless East Aurora.
“It just wasn’t our day,” said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith. “We just didn’t hit today.”
The Hawks did have 6 hits off two Metea pitchers but couldn’t score. They actually loaded the bases with nobody out in the third inning but couldn’t push a single run across. Metea scored once in the fifth and added two insurance runs in the sixth.
Andrianna Taormina was 2-for-3 for Bartlett (14-12 overall) and Steph Tomazin had a triple and 3 walks. Tori Burke was the tough-luck loser, giving up just 7 hits with 10 strikeouts and 3 walks. Bartlett also committed 3 errors.
Metea Valley 11, Burlington Central 9: Metea left Bartlett and traveled to Rocket Hill, where they knocked off Burlington in a nonconference game. Bekah Harnish (3-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI), Haley Albamonte (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI), Emily Orals (2-for-4), Lauren King (2-for-3, 2B) and Amanda Ritchie (2-for-3) led the Rockets (14-14). Kelsey Johnson (5-4) was BC’s losing pitcher.
Huntley loses 2: Playing in the Marengo quad, Huntley fell to Sycamore 12-2 and to the host Indians 6-4. In the loss to Sycamore, losing pitcher Ashley Laxner was 2-for-3 with a double and Brittany Koss had an RBI for the Red Raiders. Against Marengo, Koss had 2 hits, Angela Tribuzio a double and 2 RBI and Tara Lycos 2 hits with an RBI for Huntley (13-14). Taylor Larson was the losing pitcher.
St. Francis 11, St. Edward 1: The Green Wave (15-9, 11-4) managed just 3 hits off St. Francis’ Taylor Ronchetto in this Suburban Christian loss. Kali Kossakowski and Julie Larson (RBI) each had a double for St. Edward. Sarah Field (13-9) was the losing pitcher.
Westminster sweeps: Rachel Fugiel picked up both pitching wins as the Warriors (8-15, 4-8) swept Rockford Christian Life 11-1 and 21-2 in Northeast Athletic Conference play. Katie Moeller (2B), Fugiel (2-for-2, RBI), Ally Hielscher (4 runs) and Katie Surratt (2-for-3, RBI) led Westminster in Game 1, while Porsche Griggs (3-for-3, 2B, 2 triples, 5 RBI), Moeller (3-for-4, 3 doubles, RBI), Fugiel (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Surratt (2-for-3) led the way in Game 2.
Hampshire sweeps: Jen Hurst got the win in Game 1 and Elisa Wood in Game 2 as the Whip-Purs (7-18) swept a nonconference doubleheader from Aurora Christian, winning 5-0 and 6-4.