Softball: Rookie, veteran lead Conant past Barrington

There's a new kid on the block for Conant's softball team.

She made herself right at home on Wednesday.

Varsity newcomer Makenna McCarthy belted a 2-run homer over the left-center field fence in the second inning and that's all veteran varsity pitcher Sara Neuman needed in a 3-0 shutout of visiting Barrington on Thursday.

The Cougars raised their record to 9-1 and 5-0 in the Mid-Suburban West, where they are tied for first place with Fremd (14-0, 5-0). The co-leaders meet Friday in Hoffman Estates.

Barrington (13-2, 4-1) is tied for second in the West with Schaumburg (8-4, 4-1). Those two teams meet in Barrington today.

McCarthy, a sophomore center fielder, did not stop after the first home run of her varsity career.

Batting in the No. 8 spot, she lined a single to left in the fourth inning and scored on classmate's Jackie Burchfield's single to right with two outs for the 3-0 lead.

McCarthy then doubled in her final at-bat in the bottom of the sixth, leaving her a triple short of the cycle.

"I know she is a surprise to other teams," said Cougars coach Cathyann Smith. "But I can put her anywhere in the lineup and I know she will hit."

Neuman is hardly a surprise for opponents. The Saint Leo University (Fla.) recruit has been a fixture in the program the last four years and kept her senior record perfect at 7-0.

The right-hander tossed a nifty 2-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Catcher Rachel Macdonald's one-out line drive single to center and Carly Kordich's lead off single to left in the sixth were the only hits off Neuman.

With one out after Kordich's hit, Jamie Brown reached on an error giving the Fillies runners on first and second.

But Neuman came up with her best pitches of the game, getting the final two outs on called third strikes, one on a changeup.

The main thing I focus on is to win every inning," Neuman said. "I am not looking at the full picture. I just focused on my next pitch and that was the key to my success."

Neuman saw McCarthy's success developing.

"That was so exciting to get the lead on her home run," Neuman said. "I knew she had that in her. I knew something good was going to happen."

Good things are happening for Conant with a good number of young players.

Smith started eight underclassmen.

"The nice thing about having all the young kids that they are eager and just got out and play the game," Smith said.

"Sara is poised on the mound and that was defined 20 times over this game. She loves what she does and when she has to bear down, she gets it done. She and Dream (Aaron, Cougars senior catcher) are such a strong combination and they do it together."

Aaron began the second-inning rally by reaching on an infield error. Carly Rossdeutcher followed with a fielder's choice, giving the Cougars a runner on first and one out.

McCarthy then sent a 1-2 pitch out of the park.

"I knew I had made solid contact," McCarthy said. "But I just know I always have to run out of the batter's box as fast as a I can. It felt very very good, especially coming against such great competition as Barrington."

Fillies coach Perry Peterson used two sophomores on the mound, with Catherine McMahon (10-2) working the first 3⅔ innings and Caroline Hoppe (3-0) the final 2⅓ innings.

"Congratulations to Conant," Peterson said. "They deserved to win the game."