Softball: Elk Grove extends record to 14-1

The Mid-Suburban East softball front-runners traveled west to Winnetka on Saturday.

And they were in front all day in a doubleheader sweep of host New Trier.

The Grenadiers (14-1) gained 2-0 leads in both games and never looked back, recording a 12-2 triumph in Game 1 and 10-0 in five innings in Game 2.

Coach Ken Grams watched Anna Bonder improved to 5-0 in the open as the junior right-hander fired a 6-hitter with 4 strikeouts and no walks.

Senior Alex Masnica, who went 7-for-9 for the day with 5 RBI, got off to a 4-for-5 start with a homer, double and 4 RBI. Her 3-run blast in the second inning made it 5-0.

Kylie Thomsen (2-for-4, double), Jessica Kearns (3-for-4) and Bonder (double) were other key hitters for EG.

Thomsen (6-1) took the mound in Game 2 and took care of business with 1 hitter and 5 strikeouts.

The junior right-hander (5 strikeouts, no walks) had no hitter going (facing the minimum thanks to a 1-3 double play in the third inning) until New Trier got its only hit in the bottom of the fifth.

Haley Itzenthaler belted her first homer of the season.

Other top Grens at the plate were Masnica (3-for-4, RBI), Thomsen (2-for-4, 3 RBI) and Sarah Pauscher (3-for-3, triple, double, 2 RBI).

Rolling Meadows splits: Rolling Meadows (12-6) took third place in its own invite by edging Maine West 7-6.

Lydia Schultz (3 strikeouts) earned the win over Grace Feldkamp (3-for-4 at the plate) as freshman Sara Benner (1-for-3) tied the game at 5-5 with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Meadows added 2 more runs in the inning for a 7-5 lead.

It was Benner's sixth homer of the season.

Other top hitter for Meadows were Megan King (2-for-2, double, RBI), Schmidt (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Meghan Slowik (2-for-3, 2 RBI).

Monica Liwag (3-for-4) and Kayla Pociejewski (2-for-4) each belted homers for West and teammate Jordan Hart was 3-for-4 with a double.

In the semifinals, Geneva blanked Meadows 12-0 in five innings. Meadows had 2 hits in the game by Mallory King and Elizabeth Elkins.

Bartlett 11, Maine West 4: Grace Feldkamp and Kayla Pociejewski led the offense for West in the Rolling Meadows Invite game.

Schaumburg splits: The host Saxons (11-5) defeated Lockport 4-1 in the opener and dropped a 14-9 decision in Game 2.

Senior Paige Alt notched win in Game 1, improving her record to 7-5. Classmate Christina Candotti belted a home run in the game and Saxons third baseman Natalie Napier doubled.

Fremd falls twice: Libertyville edged the Vikings 3-2 and Wauconda posted a an 11-5 win over Fremd (14-2) in the second game at the Libertyville quad.

Fremd's AnnMarie O'Sullivan had a double against Libertyville and teammate Becca Uhrich doubled against Wauconda.

Barrington sweeps: Barrington (16-4) won its final two games of the downstate Washington tournament to finish 3-1.

Catherine McMahon (13-3) threw a 4-hitter with 4 strikeouts and no walks to defeat University High 11-0 in five innings.

Top hitters were Rachel Krzysko (3-for-3, 4 RBI, home run), Kelly Katis (2-for-3, RBI) and Rachel Macdonald (2-for-3, 3 RBI, double). Teammate Liz Sweeney added a double.

Macdonald hit her third homer in as many days and extended her hitting streak to 12 games in the Fillies' 6-2 win over Kaneland.

Macdonald leads Barrington with 5 homers this spring.

Krzysko went 2-for-3 with a double while McMahon earned her second win of the day.

Niles North 7, Prospect 6: Jackie Orel (2-for-4, double) and Colleen Palczynski homered to give Prospect a 2-0 lead in the first inning at the Niles North tourney.

Gina Loy went 3-for-4 with a solo homer for the Vikings.

Alyssa Cacini also doubled for the Knights.

St. Viator 11, Prospect 6: St. Viator jumped ahead 8-1 after two innings taking advantage of 8 hits and 4 errors at the Niles North tourney.

Grace Kaiser had a 3-run homer for St. Viator.

The Lions had multiple hits by Haley Robinson (2-for-5), Jenna Breslin (2-for-5), Grace Kaiser (2-for-5, home run), Addy Swiderski (3-for-5, double), Olivia Michalik (4-for-5) and Meg Naughton (3-for-5).

Colleen Palczynski (2-for-4) belted her second homer of the day for Prospect (2-12). Other top hitters for the Knights were Lauren Caldrone (2-for-4, double) and Alex Kanter (3-for-4, triple) Lindsey Lecompte had two-out, 2 RBI double and Alyssa had an RBI single.

"We played horribly in the first two innings," said Prospect coach Jim Adair. " Every time we tried to get back in the game, Saint Viator answered the challenge. They had us playing catch up right from the beginning and that's been the story for us this whole season."

Niles North 2, St. Viator 0: The Lions' second game at Niles North as a pitcher's duel between Viator's Meg Naughton who scattered 5 hits and Niles North's Caroline Dwyer who gave up 6 hits. Dwyer also homered in the first inning which proved to be the game winner.

Addy Swiderski had 2 hits for Viator (7-6) giving her five for the day.

Palatine goes 2-1: Sarah Grossman was the winning pitcher in a 7-2 win over Glenbrook South at the Rolling Meadows tourney.

Grace Huff (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI) and Brooke Bauer (3-for-4) led the offense.

In a 10-0 loss to Geneva, Huff went 2-for-3 to lead the offense for Palatine (5-9).

Megan Breytenbach (3-for-4, 2 double, 7 RBI), Huff (3-for-5, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Anna Selleck (double), Brooke Bauer (double) led the Pirates' offense in a 19-0 win over Maine East.

Conant goes 2-1: Conant (11-2) defeated Crystal Lake Central (7-6) before falling to Crystal Lake South 9-6 in the semifinals.

The Cougars took third place with a 12-1 triumph over Hebron as senior Dream Aaron homered, Morgan Bihun tripled and Carly Rossdeutcher doubled.

Lauren Grzelak had a double against Crystal Lake South while Bihun and Rossdeutcher homered against Crystal Lake Central and Delaney Szwed had a double.

Cougars pitcher Jac Carlucci won two games.

Glenbrook North 14, Wheeling 4: Senior Kirsten Wilhelm and junior Hannah Bradford each had 2 RBI for the visiting Wildcats (0-7) in the nonconference game.