Softball: Barrington tops Elk Grove 9-3
After 2 runs and 4 hits in their win on Monday against Hersey, Barrington softball players talked things over on Tuesday regarding the lack of offensive production.
"We analyzed things at practice and talked about solutions," said Fillies senior first baseman Jenna Fingerman.
They sure solved things on Wednesday at Elk Grove in the Mid-Suburban League crossover.
Fingerman's sacrifice fly to right drove in Barrington's last run and Fingerman's glove hauled in the last out (popup) in the Fillies' 9-3 triumph over the defending MSL East champs.
Fingerman also played a major role in the Fillies' 6-run fifth inning that broke the game open.
She capped the big rally with a 2-run blast over the right-centerfield fence for her third homer of the season.
"In my opinion, it was bad swing but it was pretty fun," she said. "Sometimes you just stick the bat out and the ball goes a long way. It was a little bit of a golf swing. But it was a nice way to come back from a strikeout in my previous at-bat."
Fingerman finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBI as one of five multiple hitters for Barrington
The others were Carly Kordich (2-for-4, walk), Jamie Brown (3-4, 2 doubles), Rachel Krzysko (2-for-4 RBI) and Liz Sweeney (2-for-4).
Also getting hits for the winners were Kelly Katis, Rachel Macdonald and Kendall Peterson, a freshman whose single to center produced the first run of the big 6-run rally.
Third baseman Peterson also made a nice backhanded catch of a pop foul just before running out of bounds for the second out of the Gren's sixth.
Sophomore reliever Caroline Hoppe, celebrating her 16th birthday, then struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Hoppe also pitched a scoreless seventh inning, giving her two innings of no-hit ball.
Her classmate Catherine McMahon (8-1) went the first five innings for the win.
"That was a super job on Caroline's part in the final two innings on her birthday," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson, one of three IHSA softball hall of famers on the field along with EG coach Ken Grams (1,584 combined wins between Grams and Peterson) and base umpire Dan Krueger. "Both of our pitchers did a terrific job."
Just like the offense was terrific with 12 hits and 9 runs against an Elk Grove team that was 5-0 coming into the game.
"We definitely worked on a lot of things at practice (on Tuesday)," said Macdonald, who was 1-for-2 with a RBI. "Every team has its off days. But we'll always be upbeat about our at-bats."
Grams was not exactly upset with his team's at-bats.
"I thought we hit the ball OK," he said. "We had some good outs. Their shortstop (Sweeney) and outfield made some nice plays.
"Their pitchers threw well and they swing the bat well. They had a little extra in that one inning (fifth) where they found holes. We tried out best to stop the flood damage. We went to the mound twice but they kept pounding away."
Grens catcher Alex Masnica (2-for-4, 2 RBI) pounded a 1-1 offering over the center field fence to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
No. 9 hitter Amy Pietruszynski was the Grens other multiple hitter, going 2-for-3 with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third. Sarah Pauscher and Jessica Kearns had the other hits for EG (5-1, 1-1).
Brown led off the top of the fourth with a sharp double to center and scored on Sweeney's game-winning RBI single to center for a 2-1 lead.
Outfielder Keeley Cronin, the flex, provided EG fans a defensive highlight when she robbed Kordich of a third hit with a diving grab in shallow center to end the Fillies' 6-run fifth.
Elk Grove, which used Kylie Thomsen (2-1) and Anna Bonder on the mound, returns to conference action on Friday at Hoffman Estates.
"That was Anna's (Bonder) first time back from a shoulder injury," Grams said. "And we may have Sabra Morton (3-0) back from a muscle problem on Saturday or Monday."