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Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After getting two hits, South Elgin's Justin Pold pitches inning in relief. Perfect. ‘Just meant everything to me.'
Coming into the season, senior second baseman Justin Pold faced elevated expectations for South Elgin, especially since he had such a solid performance the previous spring. High school baseball, however, is more of a sprint than a marathon. And when it takes time for things to start clicking, the engine can stall pretty quickly and then start to spiral. In Pold's case, he pinpointed one of the causes. 'I would say the strikeouts have been hard on me,' Pold said. 'Last year, I had like eight. This year, I have around 18. I just have to put the ball in play, and hopefully, the results will come.' Pold hung in there, put the ball in play and saw the results Monday, sending the Storm off to a quick start against McHenry in the Class 4A Kane County Cougars Supersectional in Geneva. Although Pold doubled in the first inning and followed with a two-run single in the second for a 4-0 lead, the Warriors battled back for an 8-6 victory at Northwestern Medicine Field. Pold, an Elgin Community College recruit, also made a rare pitching appearance for South Elgin (23-11). He came on in relief and got out of a jam in the sixth to keep the Storm alive. Nathan Kmiec contributed a two-run single, while Jacob Robertson also doubled and scored before adding an RBI single. Kmiec had already made it 2-0 when Pold stepped up in the second. And Pold's single to right field built a 4-0 advantage. 'It just meant everything to me,' Pold said. 'I was confident going in and got good results.' It's been a key facet for the Storm in this late-season run, with different contributors every game. 'Next man up,' South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. 'We've done a pretty good job of that in the last two-thirds of the season. I'm very proud of my kids, how they came out. 'We had nothing to lose. We weren't supposed to be anywhere close to where they're at. That's what I enjoyed, the mental toughness and the wanting to win.' As has been the case all season, the Storm persevered. It didn't matter who was struggling. 'This team is built off of friendships,' Kmiec said. 'We have all these friends on the team picking each other up. In practice, we're on each other. We felt like we could win it the whole time.' Going into the sixth, the game was tied 5-5, but McHenry (33-4-1) scored three unearned runs to take the lead. Pold stopped the bleeding to keep South Elgin within striking distance. 'That was energetic for sure,' Pold said. 'I only pitched four times before that, so I was not expecting to come in. We needed everyone for sure. 'I feel the momentum definitely shifted to us in the sixth and seventh innings. We just had too many errors. If we clean that up, I think that's our game.' The Storm ran out of steam trying to continue the coaching career of Kating, who's retiring, for one more weekend. He's the only coach in program history. 'We wanted to do this for him,' Pold said. 'He's been a great coach. He's been everything for us.' Kating said it hasn't set in yet that it's over, but he's appreciative of everything the program has accomplished in his 18 seasons at South Elgin. He tried to soak it in Monday. 'In the fifth inning, I kind of looked around and said, 'This is fun,'' Kating said. 'This is competition. This is what high school competition is supposed to be like. 'Hopefully, they take some of the stuff they experienced and turn it into life experiences.'
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Baseball and softball for the Southland, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County
High school and local college results and highlights from the Southland, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County coverage EVENTS HIGH SCHOOLS BASEBALL CLASS 4A SUPERSECTIONALS BLOOMINGTON At Illinois Wesleyan Normal Community (35-4) vs. Waubonsie Valley (23-12), 6 p.m. CRESTWOOD At Ozinga Field Brother Rice (35-3) vs. Providence (26-12), 7:30 p.m. KANE COUNTY COUGARS At Northwestern Medicine Field, Geneva McHenry (34-4-1) vs. South Elgin (25-11), 6 p.m. SCHAUMBURG At Wintrust Field Libertyville (33-4) vs. Maine South (23-16), 7:30 p.m. CLASS 3A SUPERSECTIONALS CRESTWOOD At Ozinga Field St. Laurence (34-5) vs. Simeon (20-12-1), 5 p.m. DECATUR At Millikin Champaign Central (26-12-1) vs. Troy Triad (31-6), 6 p.m. GENESEO Benet (24-12) vs. Washington (Ill.) (28-10), 6 p.m. SCHAUMBURG At Wintrust Field St. Patrick (23-15) vs. Cary-Grove (24-12), 5 p.m. SOFTBALL CLASS 4A SUPERSECTIONALS BARRINGTON Barrington (33-3-1) vs. St. Charles East (23-15), 6 p.m. BLOOMINGTON At Illinois Wesleyan Lockport (30-9) vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais (22-12), 6:30 p.m. CHICAGO At UIC Loyola (18-15) vs. Oak Park-River Forest (28-8), 4:30 p.m. LISLE At Benedictine Marist (35-2) vs. Oswego (35-2), 6:30 p.m. CLASS 3A SUPERSECTIONALS BLOOMINGTON At Illinois Wesleyan Pontiac (26-9) vs. Providence (24-11), 4:30 p.m. DECATUR At Millikin Chatham Glenwood (34-1) vs. Centralia (26-3), 4:30 p.m. KANELAND Antioch (24-13) vs. Prairie Ridge (27-1-1), 4:30 p.m. LISLE At Benedictine St. Laurence (22-7) vs. Montini (19-16), 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY'S RESULTS HIGH SCHOOLS BASEBALL CLASS 4A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS LINCOLN-WAY WEST Providence 12, Lincoln-Way East 0 (5 innings) LOCKPORT Waubonsie Valley 5, Downers Grove North 0 REAVIS Brother Rice 3, Mount Carmel 2 STEVENSON Libertyville 5, Lake Zurich 4 Libertyville (33-4): Quinn Schambow 2-for-3, double, 3 RBIs. Josh Holst HR, 2 RBIs. Mason Strader 2-for-3, 2 runs. Cole Lockwood 2 runs. WILLOWBROOK South Elgin 4, York 3 South Elgin (25-11): Justin Pold GW RBI in top 7th. Alex Muro RBI single. Jake Sparacino RBI. CLASS 3A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS KANELAND Benet 7, Wheaton St. Francis 0 Benet (25-12): Gino Zagorac CG, H, 6 Ks. Merrick Sullivan 2-for-4, 3-run double. Luke Stachowiak RBI single. ST. LAURENCE St. Laurence 11, Lemont 1 (6 innings) BOYS LACROSSE STATE FINALS Lake Forest 8, New Trier 5, championship Wheaton Academy 19, Neuqua Valley 4, third BOYS VOLLEYBALL STATE FINALS At Hoffman Estates Marist d. Glenbard West 25-20, 25-20, championship Lane d. O'Fallon 25-21, 25-14, third Marist d. Lane 25-19, 25-19, semifinal Glenbard West d. O'Fallon 25-17, 25-8, semifinal GIRLS SOCCER CLASS 3A STATE FINALS At North Central College, Naperville O'Fallon 1, Naperville North 0 (OT), championship Barrington 2, Lane 1, third SOFTBALL CLASS 4A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STEVENSON Loyola 2, Mundelein 0 Mundelein (22-11): Sophia Zepeda CG, ER, 11 Ks. CLASS 3A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL Antioch 13, Carmel 9 Antioch (24-13): Sam Hillner 4-for-4, 2 HRs, 4 runs, 4 RBIs. Tegan Schuler 4-for-4, 3 runs, RBI. Addie Webb 2-for-3, 3 RBIs. Carmel (20-10): Grace Brown 2-for-3, solo HR, 3 runs. Bella Cameron 3 RBIs. Grace King 3 runs. CLASS 2A STATE FINALS At Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, Peoria Beecher 5, Carterville 2 (10 innings), championship Beecher (37-2): Taylor Norkus (W) 5 IP relief, H, 0 R, 9 Ks. Tayiah Scanlon tiebreaking single in top 10th. Ava Lorenzatti 2-run HR. Fifth state championship in school history. Poplar Grove North Boone 1, Auburn 0, third
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Defense delivers as Makayla Van Dinther pitches St. Charles East to shutout of South Elgin. ‘Stressful situations.'
Catch her if you can, but it isn't easy. Makayla Van Dinther may not be an intimidating physical presence in the circle for St. Charles East, but the junior right-hander has been pure magic during an impressive postseason run. it has the surprising Saints one win away from the state finals and a trip to Peoria. 'I knew we were going to be a tough out,' St. Charles East coach Jarod Gutesha said. 'With 15 losses, everybody is ranked above us, but I knew our lineup was going to be tough. 'With our schedule, we've experienced disappointment with a stretch of one and two-run losses, but you learn from those disappointments.' Van Dinther proved that point again Friday in the Class 4A Palatine Fremd Sectional championship game, completing a six-hit shutout for the Saints in a 5-0 victory over South Elgin. The fifth-seeded Storm (29-5) appeared to have her on the ropes multiple times, but she escaped trouble that included back-to-back bases-loaded jams in the third and fourth innings. Van Dinther (13-9) struck out five and walked just one in winning for the third time in four playoff games to go with a save for the sixth-seeded Saints (23-15), who will play at 6 p.m. Monday in the Barrington Supersectional against the host Fillies (33-3-1), a 2-0 winner over Huntley. Afterward, Van Dinther passed some of that credit to junior catcher Hayden Sujack. 'Those jams were stressful situations,' Van Dinther said. 'But my catcher and I talked, and we located some counts because it was a tight strike zone. I just trusted my defense.' Senior third baseman Holly Smith provided some stellar defense in the third inning, charging a grounder on the line, scooping the ball up and flipping it to Sujack out of her glove all in one motion for the third out on a force play at the plate. And second baseman Alyse Price almost saw it coming. 'Makayla threw a great pitch,' Smith said. 'It was a weak contact. It might have rolled foul, but I was ahead of the runner so I tried the glove flip and Hayden made a nice stretch. 'It's funny. Alyse Price and I were just talking about glove flipping before the game and it comes up. First time I've ever used it at third base.' Van Dinther, who bailed herself out the next inning by retiring a batter on a comeback grounder with the bases loaded and two out, appreciated the Smith-Sujack connection. 'Amazing play,' said Van Dinther, who also praised a catch by senior left fielder Eden Corcoran. 'That kind of saved my butt there. We played good all-around. Our outfield did a great job. 'Eden made an amazing catch to save another run that was great to see.' Van Dinther ended up stranding nine runners. South Elgin's defensive struggles made it tough on Loyola-bound senior left-hander Anna Kiel, who started in the circle for a second straight day but was lifted after three innings trailing 2-0. Sparked by Sujack's double, St. Charles East took advantage of three errors to score twice in the first inning. The Storm made seven errors, allowing the Saints to add a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. Junior right fielder Lexi Majkszak added two hits and two RBIs for St. Charles East, while sophomore center fielder Morgan Beers went 4-for-4. 'Definitely my first four-hit game,' Beers said. 'We had to get the job done, and as long as I had good energy, I was really confident at the plate.' At the same time, Gutesha has faith in Beers. 'She puts the bat on the ball consistently and she's got wheels,' he said. 'Speed don't slump.' Beers drove in the fourth run and also scored the fifth to support Van Dinther. 'Even when she was in those jams, she was still throwing well,' Gutesha said of Van Dinther. 'She was still hitting her spots, and it wasn't like they were barreling it up and hitting gaps, gaps, gaps. 'She was doing her thing.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Comeback kid Aiden Bernau pushes big single past first base as South Elgin edges Bartlett. ‘Just knew my role.'
When senior Aiden Bernau injured his elbow during South Elgin's spring break trip to Tennessee, he had a sinking feeling. He had earned a starting spot but now needed to rehab an injury. What would happen next? 'I thought when I got injured, this is going to stink,' Bernau said. 'I was starting, too. I was just going to sit here. But it's been a blast. This is really fun.' Bernau, indeed, kept the good times rolling Thursday afternoon. Despite not being able to contribute as much as he had hoped for this season, Bernau kept grinding until he could graduate from pinch running to hitting during the past few weeks. It paid off in the Storm's 2-1 victory over Bartlett in the Class 4A Willowbrook Sectional semifinals. Bernau snuck a two-run single inside the bag at first base in the third inning to provide all the offense that Zacharia Barkho needed on the mound for South Elgin (23-10), which advanced to play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title against York (24-11). Colin Tuftedal and courtesy runner Justin Pold were along for the ride on that single, while Barkho went 6 2/3 innings in pitching the win. He struck out four and allowed an unearned run on three hits and four walks. Jacob Robertson came on with the bases loaded to nail down the save. Josh Colaizzi was dominant for Bartlett (19-17-1). He struck out 13 in six innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits and a walk. Austin Daubenmire walked and scored the lone run. After the initial shock of his injury, Bernau got to work. Even though he wouldn't be contributing in the same way as he thought he would, he wanted to remain a presence for the Storm. 'I just knew my role,' Bernau said. 'During the injury I knew what I had to do to help the team out. Pinch running, I did that a ton. I started hitting two or three weeks ago. It feels great.' It's the kind of leadership South Elgin coach Jim Kating loves to see. 'He's been working really hard since his injury,' Kating said of Bernau. 'He came up big and put the ball in play last game against St. Charles North. He earned the spot to go get that opportunity. 'He's focused. He's a team player. He's supporting everybody just like the rest of our team.' With two runners on and one out Thursday, Bernau initially tried to bunt. When that was unsuccessful, he went the opposite way, barely keeping the ball fair to drive in both runners. 'I got the bunt sign and tried to lay one down, missed that bunt,' Bernau said. 'I knew I had to put a ball in play. I just stuck my bat out there, caught a barrel and it went down the line.' That was all Barkho needed as South Elgin's ace delivered yet another strong performance. 'Zach did not have his best stuff,' Kating said. 'He gutted through and did a nice job.' Colaizzi matched Barkho for Bartlett and then some. Aside from the surge in the third inning, the Storm really didn't generate much offense off Colaizzi, who was hitting 90 mph on the radar gun. 'I can't say enough about him on both sides of the ball this year,' Bartlett coach Alex Coan said of Colaizzi. 'I thought we played well enough to win that game. Baseball is cruel sometimes.' Bernau's big moment also helped Kating hold off retirement for at least one more game. It has been first and foremost on the team's mind. 'That's what we're playing for at this point,' Bernau said. 'Last season for him, we want to get him some hardware. Just going for the title, and I think we have a really good shot with this team.'
Chicago Tribune
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Loyola recruit Anna Kiel inches closer to 500 career strikeouts. But what about her hitting? ‘Even more impressed.'
To be blunt, the numbers for South Elgin senior Anna Kiel are downright gaudy. But which statistics put up this season by the four-year varsity standout and Loyola recruit are more impressive, those for her pitching or her hitting? Take your pick, according to senior catcher Chloe Ricard. 'With Anna, you can call any pitch in any count,' Ricard said. 'I have a lot of confidence in her to throw whatever she wants and she has the confidence in me to call whatever I feel is best. 'But I think I'm more impressed with her hitting, which is remarkable. Usually, the standard is how far above .200 you are hitting, and she's hitting above .500.' On Wednesday, it had to be Kiel's work in the circle. The hard-throwing left-hander fired a three-hit shutout for the fifth-seeded Storm in a 4-0 shutout of 11th-seeded Addison Trail in a Class 4A South Elgin Regional semifinal. Kiel (14-3), the Upstate Eight West's pitcher of the year, struck out 13 and walked none to lead her team to a familiar place in the postseason. Her teammates put up three runs in the second inning, featuring a triple by sophomore left fielder Kaidence Rumachik and RBI singles by sophomore first baseman Jenna Sheehan and senior third baseman Adriana Jimenez. All three, along with Ricard, were all-conference selections. South Elgin (27-4), which set the program's single-season record for wins, advanced to a 4:30 Friday regional final against third-seeded Lake Park (21-7), the Storm's nemesis. 'Knowing every pitch matters is something I'm going to focus on,' Kiel said. 'I'm trying not to focus on the pressure but trusting the people around me, knowing we can get it done if we play together. 'We're definitely going into the game hungry on Friday.' Kiel was delighted to get in game Wednesday's game, especially after the area was hit with plenty of rain in the morning. South Elgin coach Brad Reynard said the U-46 grounds crew deserved an assist. It allows his ace to have the day off Thursday and be available for the final without pitching two days in a row. Each of the past three years, the Lancers have ended the Storm season, twice in regional championship games and her sophomore season in a sectional semifinal. Kiel's 13 strikeouts Wednesday pushed her career total to 494. 'She'll take one strikeout Friday as long as she gets the 'W' against Lake Park,' Reynard said. 'She's ready to go now. Anna doesn't get too high or too low. It's hard to read emotions sometimes from her.' Kiel had a single in three at-bats and carries a .558 average (43-for-77) with seven doubles, one home run and 23 RBIs, one of seven players on the team with 20 or more RBIs. 'She's just locked, hitting laser line drives, finding the hole between shortstop and third base and hitting the left-center gap,' Reynard said. 'This year, she told me, 'One of my goals is not to strike out.'' Close. So far, Kiel has struck out only once in 86 plate appearances. Kiel credited her work with New Lenox Lightning coach Jim Abbott and Phil Latoria of St. Charles for improving her hitting and St. Charles-based Jill Waldron on her pitching. 'I think it helps me as a batter being a pitcher,' Kiel said. 'I'm not guessing, I kind of know what they might be thinking throwing to me.' Loyola coaches will let her do both, she said, if she earns it. 'Offensively, she probably doesn't get as much praise as she should,' Reynard said. 'But for me, knowing she's going to be in the circle is hard to beat. 'I don't want to say she's the best player I've ever had, but she never ceases to amaze me and I've been doing this 25 years. It's like talking to an adult.'
