Softball: Elk Grove blows past Glenbrook North
You might say Elk Grove's softball team was doubling its fun in Saturday's nonconference visit from Glenbrook North.
Grenadiers senior ace OIivia Masnica made it into double figures for wins and her team supported her with double-digit runs as the hosts took a 13-1 triumph.
Masnica (10-2) had all the runs she would need before she even threw a pitch in the second inning as the Mid-Suburban East co-leaders (18-5) scored four times in the first inning, including the first of 2 home runs by sophomore Sabina Lehnert, a line shot to center which made it 3-0.
Masnica threw a 6-hitter and 6 strikeouts to catcher Bella Reid.
“That (the quick lead) really does help,” said Masnica, who will play at Wisconsin-Parkside next season. “It makes it easier knowing your team is hitting. You have a little leeway. I know that if they get a couple of runs, we'll always find a way to get some back.”
The offense sure had Masnica's back.
The Grens belted 4 homers, including one by Olivia's sister and second baseman Julia's solo shot to center in the second inning that was followed by a solo blast to center by freshman Lexi Goerninger (2-for-3, 2 RBI) that capped a 5-run inning.
Olivia and Julia Masnica, a sophomore, each homered one day earlier in a win over Schaumburg.
“It's always exciting for me when Julia hits one,” Olivia said. “She never hit one until this high school season started.”
Lehnert belted her second homer in the Grens' 3-run third inning. The 2-run line drive shot to center scored Megan Malartsik, who went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI and double from the No. 2 spot.
Ariana Trausch followed Lehnert's homer with a double to left and eventually came home on Julia Masnica's sacrifice fly to left, making it 12-1.
Malartsik's double in the fourth inning capped the scoring as Olivia Masnica (1-for-2) crossed the plate with her third run of the game as the Grens' leadoff batter.
“Olivia pitched very well, one of her better outings,” said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams, the winningest active softball coach In Illinois with 966 wins in 40 seasons. “She was staying ahead of people and I thought she was locating well. It was good to see.”
“I was just working my in and out, up and down pitches pretty well,” said the right-hander. “I wasn't just staying in one area. And my defense was there to help me if they did get a couple of hits.”
And the Grens' fans got to see more big hits as Lehnert tied AJ Trausch for the team home run lead with 8 apiece.
“This is my first year playing high school softball,” said Lehnert, who went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI. “So this is really fun and I'm just trying to do my best.”
“Like our team a few years ago, when we were hitting a lot of home runs, part of our production has been the long ball as they say,” Grams said. “We had a good week. And now we've got some important conference games coming up so it was good to have this as a springboard, so to speak.”
Glenbrook North (7-8) scored its run when Lauren Pines tripled to left to drive home Shayna Seiler, who had singled to left with two outs in the top of the third.
Chloe de Leon went 2-for-2 with a double while Lexi Kuffel was 1-for-2, and robbed of a second hit on a nice catch by Malartsik in right field.
“When Lexi puts the ball in play, it is usually hit hard,” said Spartans coach Bridget Matsunaga. “We were hitting, we just needed to find the spots and holes and we weren't doing that. We had a couple of errors and then let them get some hits. Unfortunately, it wasn't our day.”