Softball: Hughes' walk-off HR clinches NLCC title for Grayslake North

Freshman outfielder Nicole Hughes wasn't even on the season-opening roster for Grayslake North's softball team.

Friday, her walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh gave the Knights a 13-12 win over Lakes and their first Northern Lake County Conference championship.

Faith Standerski and Jess Pozezinski both homered twice for Grayslake North (24-9, 11-1), which last won a conference title in 2012 when it played in the Fox Valley. Standerski's second solo homer of the game tied the score in the seventh, before Hughes followed with her no-doubt blast on a 3-1count with one out.

Standerski finished 3-for-5, Pozezinski had 4 RBI, Ashton Moore was 3-for-4 with an RBI, Alyssa Carr went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, Grace Brown was 2-for-3 and Caitlin Barenbaum went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Meghan Delahunty also had a hit and an RBI.

Haley Ovaska (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Grace Goodrich (2-for-4, double, 3 RBI) and Kelsey Ulrich (2-for-3, 2 RBI) all homered for Lakes. Camryn Jones (4-for-4), Grace Dunsworth (2-for-4), Annie Willis (RBI), Ally Dietz (2 RBI), Cierra Fleming and Emilie Cain all had hits for Lakes.

Antioch 8, Wauconda 2: Piper Foote was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, as the Sequoits won the Northern Lake County Conference finale.

Antioch (24-5-1) got 2 hits apiece from Ashlyn Sundell, Megan Lawrence (double, 2 RBI) and Abby Pyburn. Jeri Bonaguidi allowed 1 run in a complete-game effort.

Wauconda got a double from Alexis De La Roca.

Marian Central 4, Grayslake Central 1: Madeline Peterson's homer accounted for the Rams' lone run in their nonconference loss.

Elisa Koshy was 2-for-3 for Grayslake Central (21-7).

Marengo 7, Carmel 5: Jordan Swiatkowski hit her 14th home run of the season for the Corsairs in their nonconference loss.

Swiatkowski (2 RBI), Hailie Swiatkowski and Sydney Schuda all went 2-for-3 for Carmel. Allison Novak tripled and drove in a run, and Kyla Rapplean doubled and knocked in a run.

Johnsburg 13, Mundelein 7: Kendall Klatt homered and doubled for the Mustangs in their nonconference loss.

Kellie Shanahan was 3-for-4 for Mundelein (13-14), which also got 2 his apiece from Molly Podraza (double) and Tess McKay (2 RBI).