Softball: Elk Grove breaks ground with bounce-back win

He's been in the business for more than three decades, but there are still firsts for Elk Grove hall of fame softball coach Ken Grams.

For the first time in his 36 years Saturday, Grams directed his team on a professional softball diamond - at the Chicago Bandits stadium.

And the game turned out to be a great remedy for the Grens, who were coming off Thursday's tough 1-0 loss to Conant in the Mid-Suburban League championship game.

Junior Kylie Thomsen, who threw a splendid 2-hitter two days earlier, came back sharp with a nifty 5-hitter to defeat Richards (19-11) in the High School Jamboree at the Ballpark in Rosemont.

"She pitched well again," Grams said of Thomsen who struck out nine while raising her record to 14-4.

"Last year at this time, we didn't play well after losing the MSL championship game (loss to Naperville North). So we talked about playing well and making this a bridge to the regional."

The Grens (25-6) did exactly that with the offense providing support behind Thomsen.

Elk Grove got on the board first when senior Sarah Pauscher drove home of her first of 2 runs. Pauscher's one-out single to center scored Alex Masnica, who had belted a triple to center.

The Bulldogs (19-11) answered with their only run in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Katelyn Flahive. who also doubled later in the game.

But that would be all the scoring for the Bulldogs, who loaded the bases with one out in the third inning.

But Pauscher caught a hard hit liner by senior Julian Julian near the third base bag. Pauscher then stepped on third to double up the runner for an inning-ending double play.

"Kylie pitched a real nice game," said Pauscher, who had the Grens' first 2 RBI. "This was my first time playing here and it was really cool."

Masnica echoed those words.

"It's beautiful," she said of the home of the Bandits. "Playing on this field was a great experience for our whole team. It was a great atmosphere.

"After that tough game for the championship (MSL), this was a really good opportunity for us to show that we are still a strong team, and it was a good way to move on to the state tournament."

Masnica, who was 2-for-4, made it all the way to third base on an outfield error with one out in the third inning.

That's when Pauscher delivered her second RBI on a groundout to short that scored Masnica for the 2-1 lead.

The Grens gave Thomsen two more runs in the fourth.

The first came when Jessica Kearns led off with an inside-the-park homer that rolled to the right center field fence.

With one out, Mackenzie Flannery doubled. She scored with two outs on Masnica's single to right for the 4-1 cushion.

Carly Crothers, Haley Itzenthaler, Keeley Cronin and Thomsen also had hits for the Mid-Suburban East champs.

"It was a good team effort," Grams said about his 880th career win. "A good response to our tough loss on Thursday."