Softball: Barrington battles back but DeKalb gets it done

BELVIDERE - The middle of DeKalb's lineup - and an early 7-run deficit - were too much for Barrington's softball team to overcome.

Fourth and fifth hitters Mallory Warner and Skylar Haring were a combined 8-for-8 and the Barbs built an early 7-0 lead before holding on for a 9-6 victory in the final of the Class 4A Belvidere North sectional Saturday afternoon.

The Fillies dominated the last 5 innings and brought the lead run to the plate in the seventh inning, but just couldn't dig themselves out of that early hole.

"It's about being resilient and continuing to battle the best you could," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. "We were down 7-0 and to come back and outscore them 6-2 the rest of the way is a credit to our kids."

The Fillies scored 3 times in the seventh to make things interesting. With a run in, two outs and nobody on, five straight batters reached base, scoring 2 runs and leaving the bases loaded. But DeKalb pitcher Morgan Newport got a strikeout to finally nail down the win.

The Barbs used 3 singles, 3 walks, and a hit batter to grab a 5-0 lead after one inning. Newport, Warner and Haring hit consecutive singles to really get the inning started. Warner and Haring again had back-to-back hits in the second. Jenna Levine's double scored both runners and DeKalb had an imposing 7-0 lead

That lead help up until the fifth, when the Fillies bunched 4 hits to get on the scoreboard. Run-scoring singles by Rachel MacDonald and Rachel Krzysko made it 7-2.

Barrington continued to chip away, adding a run in the sixth. Jamie Brown was hit by a pitch, advanced on Liz Sweeney's double to left and scored on Abbey Jacobsen's infield out.

DeKalb added 2 in the sixth on RBI hits by - who else? - Warner and Haring, but the Fillies refused to fold.

Kelly Katis doubled leading off the seventh and came around on two infield outs. It looked like that would be it when Jenna Fingerman hit a slow chopper toward shortstop. The Barbs couldn't make the play, though, and Fingerman reached safely.

There came hits by Brown, Sweeney, Jacobson, and Julia Kozar to score 2 more and leave the bases full. Only 1 of those hits reached the outfield.

But after being down to their last strike three times, the Fillies couldn't find any more magic.

The loss didn't take away from another success season for Barrington (28-8).

"We worked hard to improve as the season went on," Peterson said. "We learned a lot about ourselves as the season progressed. It was a good challenge all the way through."