Elk Grove's Maher makes her mark with homer No. 11

Elk Grove shortstop Becca Maher finished the regular season on Saturday in record style.

Maher led off the first game of a doubleheader against host Trinity by belting a home run.

It was her 11th of the season, setting the school's single-season mark previously held by Dani Goranson and Megan Keegan, who both hit 10.

The Grens went on to top the Blazers 13-7 at the Triton College softball diamond in River Grove.

For good measure, Maher belted her 12th homer in Game 2 which the Grenadiers won 13-9 by scoring 4 runs in the top of the eighth inning to top the Blazers (20-12).

Elk Grove completed its regular season at 28-7 under Hall of Fame coach Ken Grams, who now has 826 wins, second most in IHSA softball history.

With 6 hits on the day, Maher (6-of-9) now has a school-record 80 hits for the season. She broke Jessica Balzano's mark of 72 earlier in the week.

“She's just had a remarkable season,” said Grams of the Northwest Missouri State recruit and four-year Grens starter who is batting over .600 this spring.

Freshman Kylie Thomsen (3-0) pitched the final 4⅔ innings to earn the win while sophomore Mary Hirschauer went the first 2⅓ innings.

Multiple hitters for the Grens were Maher (3-for-4, RBI, home run, triple), Brianna Leach (4-for-5, 3 RBI) and Aleece Duffy (2-for-4) while Brooke Barges and senior Megan Eul also had doubles.

In Game 2, Shannon Taucher also had a homer while Marjorie Sloan was 3-for-5 with a double.

Other top hitters for the Grens were Maher (3-for-5), Brianna Leach (2-for-5), Alex Masnica (2-for-5), Melissa Picchi (2-for-5) and Kara Granata (2-for-4)..

Eul (18-6) earned the win, pitching the final 4⅔ innings in relief of freshman Taylor Leach, who went the first 3⅓ innings.

Schaumburg sweeps: The Saxons capped the regular season in impressive fashion with 12-1 and 12-0 five-inning wins over visiting Maine West.

Junior Shannon Felde (11-4) won Game 1 with relief help from Michelle Birkholz.

The Saxons (25-8) were led on offense by Paige Alt (2-for-2, home run), Sarah Schwind (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Lindsay Leiber (2-for-3, RBI) while Elaine Walker, Felde and Jamie Kudjer each had doubles.

Abbey Herling got Maine West (15-11) on the board with a two-out homer in the top of the first inning before the hosts scored 9 runs in the second inning.

Alt (12-2) got the win in Game 2 with Birkholz once again throwing the final three innings.

Walker (2-for-4, RBI), Birkholz and Summer Schulz (1-for-1) a freshman third baseman, all hit homers for Schaumburg.

Christina Candotti (2-for-3, RBI, double), Felde (2-for-2), Natalie Napier (2-for-2, RBI), Alt (1-for-3, 2 RBI) and Michaela Encarnación (1-for-1, RBI) were other key hitters for the Saxons.

Maine West's hit was a leadoff single in the top of the fifth by Monica Liwag.

New Trier sweeps Conant: The Trevians (27-4-1), seeded No. 1 in the Stevenson sectional, won the twin bill in Hoffman Estates 2-1 and 4-2 with seniors pitchers Allison Quigley and Lauren Secaras notching the wins.

The Cougars (24-5) also fell to a highly-ranked Marist team on Friday night in Chicago.

“It's a risk at taking losses when you play teams like these the last two days,” said Cougars coach Cathyann Smith, whose Cougars have won three Mid-Suburban League crowns in four years. “But these are good losses because our kids got to play top competition in the state and that will help us prepare us for the state tournament.

“We did a lot of things well and we want to tweak a few things. But this is how we wanted to go into Tuesday's regional (at Hoffman Estates).”

Elisa Ambrose (2-for-3) and Sara Neuman each doubled for the Cougars while Neuman (11-2) gave up only 5 hits and struck out two.

In Game 2, the Cougars tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of fourth when Alissa Wachal led off with double to left.

Lauren Grzelak followed with an infield hit and Hailey Rothstein bunted safely to load the bases.

Kali Schumacher's sacrifice fly to center to tie the game.

The Trevians won with 2 runs in the top of the fifth.

Schumacher (7-2) finished with 3 strikeouts and she also had two sacrifices at the plate.

Multiple hitters for the Cougars were Rothstein (2-for-3) and Ambrose (2-for-3).

Sandburg 4, Barrington 3 (13 inn.): Barrington went to the Stone City Sports Complex for one game Saturday but almost played enough innings for two full games.

Cleanup hitter Madeline Hanley, who was 0-for-5 going into her at-bat in the bottom of the 13th inning with two outs, belted a walk-off homer to lift the Eagles past the Fillies (23-11).

Trailing 3-2, the Eagles had tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman Rachel Krzysko (3-for-6) and senior Taylor Moran (3-for-5, walk) led the offense for Barrington, which scored all 3 of its runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead.

Kat Panos had a 2-run single and Krzysko had the other RBI.

Senior Jennifer Inamoto (1-2) threw the final 3⅔ innings after junior Keenan Dolezal had struck out seven in the first nine innings.

Wheeling splits: Wheeling dropped the opener 9-6 at Highland Park before winning the second 10-8 behind pitcher Katie Quagliano, who struck out four after taking the mound in the fourth inning.

Nikki Mikosz (3-for-4, triple, 2 doubles, RBI), Quagliano (2-for-4, double, 3 RBI), Meghan Olsen (2-for-4, RBI) and Karoline Dabrowska (triple) led the offense for Wheeling (6-26) in Game 2.

In Game 1, the Wildcats were led by Christina Ambrose (3-for-4, Alexa Orlando (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI), Mikosz (home run, 2 RBI), Quagliano (triple, RBI) and Anne Janulis (2-for-3).

Woodlands 13, CLA 4: In her final game of her career, Christian Liberty Academy senior pitcher Megan Sullivan struck out 13 in the championship game of the Woodlands (Lake Forest) Class 2A regional final.

Sullivan also had a double while teammate Jenn West was 2-for-3.

Sullivan struck out the side of the last inning of her high school career.

Sullivan, who had 10 strikeouts in the semifinal win over Chicago Math & Science, has pitched every inning of every game for the Chargers this season.

CLA senior third baseman Shelbi Hernandez suffered a collision in the third inning and was taken to the hospital for a possible concussion.

The Chargers had only two outfielders the rest of the game.