It's settled: Camardo's clutch for Buffalo Grove

When Buffalo Grove all-area softball pitcher Julia Camardo falls behind early in a game, like on Friday at Hoffman Estates, she has a game plan in place.

"I just have to make sure not to freak out," said the Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit. "I have to relax and just settle in."

When Camardo settles in, it can be unsettling for opponents.

After falling behind 3-0 after two innings and giving up 5 hits, Camardo did not give up another run or hit the rest of the way to help lead her team to a 7-3 victory over the Hawks (9-12, 2-7).

The victory moved the Bison (12-4, 6-3) into a first-place tie in the Mid-Suburban East with Elk Grove (18-5, 6-3) which dropped a 6-5 decision to West leader Schaumburg.

Camardo, who raised her record to 12-3 with the 5-hitter, excelled with her bat, too,

She went 3-for-4, including a two-out 2-run single in the third inning which tied the game at 3-3.

Earlier in the inning, Camardo's future Whitewater teammate Caitlin Catino doubled sharply to left center to score Grace Gran with one out.

Freshman Lauren Beiersdorf, playing right field for sophomore and No. 2 hitter Katie Fontanetta (sidelined with a virus in her leg), had a key sacrifice bunt to advance Gran in the 3-run third inning.

"She did a nice job in her first game up on the varsity," said BG coach Jamie Paul of Beiersdorf, who went 1-for-2 with 1 run and a hard line out to right in her last at-bat.

"She had a great sacrifice bunt in her first at-bat and then adjusted real well on that hit in her third at-bat."

The Bison bats connected for 8 hits, including one apiece from Olivia Morini, Emily Carnes and Nikki Longdon.

Coincidentally, the Bison did not get a hit in the fifth inning when they took the lead for good at 4-3. Camardo's fielder choice groundball allowed Catino to score from third base with one out. Hoffman made 2 errors in the inning.

"You have to play defense against a solid hitting team like Buffalo Grove," said Hoffman coach Lindsey Hamma. "They are going to get their hacks. We have to take care of plays when the ball is hit at us. Buffalo Grove, took advantage when we didn't."

The Bison extended the lead to 5-3 in the sixth when Beiersdorf reached on an infield hit, stole second and advanced to third and home on errors.

BG added 2 more runs in the seventh, thanks a 2-run single to center by Longdon, scoring Carnes and Camardo, whose final hit was a line shot to right field. Shortstop Dea Barton had a key sacrifice bunt in the inning and two in the game.

"After we fell behind we just had to take it inning by inning," said Carnes, who caught for Camardo. "We just try to put the ball in play and good things will happen."

Good things were happening for the Hawks in the first two innings.

Freshman catcher Mary Bean led off with a single to left. She went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Charlotte Allan and came home on Jordyn Fera's single to center.

Fera took second on the throw home and scored on Caitlyn Farina's RBI single to center for a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning, Bean drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on a single by center fielder Charlotte Allan (1-for-2)

Camardo then struck out six of the next 7 batters and allowed only one fair ball in a span of 12 batters. During the streak, Carnes made a nice catch up against the backstop fence near the third base dugout.

"She (Camardo) did a nice job mixing up her pitches and she just shut us down after we got that lead," Hamma said. "We preach winning every inning which means we have to score every inning, and we didn't do that."

But Hamma could not complain about the effort she received from junior pitcher Tracy Osimowicz, who also went 1-for-3 at the plate.

"Tracy pitched a heck of game against a strong Barrington lineup (in a 2-0 loss two days earlier)," Hamma said. "She's doing a great job of keeping us in games. Buffalo Grove is a good ballclub and they earned the win."

Camardo earned the win with 10 strikeouts and no walks, retiring 16 of the final 17 batter she faced.

"Things were a little rough the first time through their lineup but she settled down real well after that," Paul said. "And then we started hitting."