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Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
True, South Elgin's Zacharia Barkho outduels Bartlett's Josh Colaizzi. But they're still friends. ‘We go way back.'
Even though Zacharia Barkho has emerged as South Elgin's ace in the second half of the season, there are still benchmarks for the developing pitcher to reach. One of them is finding a way to get the win for the Storm without his best stuff. That was the junior right-hander's test Monday at rival Bartlett. 'Was this his best outing?' South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. 'No, but he gutted it out. I was very proud of him.' Count it as another test passed for Barkho. He outdueled Bartlett's Josh Colaizzi as both threw complete games in a 1-0 Upstate Eight Conference victory that went to the visiting Storm. It was the ninth straight win for South Elgin (19-9, 14-1), while Bartlett (16-14-1, 12-5) had its eight-game win streak was snapped. Barkho struck out seven while allowing two hits and a walk. He singled in the fifth and courtesy runner Aiden Bernau scored game's lone run on an error. Nathan Kmiec had the other hit. Colaizzi was just as dominant for Bartlett. He struck out 12 and allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk. Alex Bihun doubled and Brandon Pelz singled for the Hawks' only two hits. Battling through a game without his best stuff, Barkho said he had to rely on his mental toughness to get through the outing. 'I think if I can just stay mature in my head and think strategically instead of getting angry at everything that's going on, I can find a couple of pitches that will work for me and I can continue to put the ball where I need it to be,' Barkho said. 'If my fastball is off, I can go with the two-seam. Curveball off, I can change it to a slider. 'I have to find my groove for the day, find my arm slot.' If Barkho didn't have his best stuff, he could have fooled Bartlett coach Alex Coan, who came away impressed. 'He mixed it up well,' Coan said of Barkho. 'He has a nice fastball-slider mid. He picks his spots really well. He really targets the zone. When he's doing that and he's on, he's tough to beat.' Coan had plenty of praise for his ace after Colaizzi's performance as well. 'He's been everything we've asked for and then some,' Coan said. 'He's a dog. That's what it is.' Barkho and Colaizzi have been friends since they were kids, so it gave the duel extra meaning. 'We go way back,' Barkho said. 'It was fun. We both got to share an experience with each other that I'll never forget.' In addition to bringing the Storm one win closer to an Upstate Eight title, the game also held special meaning to Kating. The only head coach South Elgin has known since the school started playing varsity sports in the 2006-07 season is retiring at season's end. He was honored with a plaque before the game. Kating began his career coaching at Bartlett in 1997. 'I was not expecting that at all,' Kating said. This is the first place I coached when I came to U-46, so that was nice. '(My brain) is firing on all cylinders. (My body) is telling me I'm done. I still have the burn, though.' Kating's impending retirement is something Barkho and his teammates have discussed. They want to rack up as many wins and accolades as they can before it's all over. 'That's the goal — the conference title, get it for him,' Barkho said. 'He's put so much into this program. All we can do is try to get him wins. I think we're just bonding as a team a lot more. 'I feel like the closer we keep getting, the better we're playing.'
Chicago Tribune
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After dry spell, Amber Gnutek gets back into home-run groove for South Elgin. Finally? ‘Pour everything into it.'
A relieved Amber Gnutek had to admit that this was much more like the plan she had in mind for her senior season at South Elgin. The first month has been a little stressful for the middle infielder who splits time between second base and shortstop. 'Amber has been so hard on herself,' Storm coach Brad Reynard said. 'Her average probably isn't where she'd like it. She has hit some hard-luck outs, but the last two weeks, she's been hitting the ball really, really hard. 'That was huge for us today. We haven't had a ton of home runs. To get her on track is key for us to make any advancement going forward. Good things are going to happen.' Good things happened Monday for host South Elgin in a 10-0 Upstate Eight Conference victory over Larkin with Gnutek at the forefront. The St. Ambrose recruit set the tone right away in the first, capping a three-run inning for the Storm (11-4, 5-0) with a two-run single. In the third, Gnutek lifted her RBI total to four for the day by hitting a two-run homer to straightaway center that left no doubt. Her second of the season, it boosted the lead in support of winning pitcher and Loyola recruit Anna Kiel to 6-0 over the Royals (6-8, 3-4). And for Gnutek, again, it was a relief. 'I pour everything into it,' said Gnutek, who has worked with Geneva-based hitting instructor Heather Harner since her sophomore year. 'All my work throughout the fall and winter was not producing the way I planned. 'I had this whole vision for my senior year. It was going to be my last year and my best year. I was doing OK, but then we went to Tennessee on spring break and it all goes down. I'm trying to keep my head up, but it's hard on you when you're kind of scuffling a little bit.' Kiel (5-3) didn't scuffle Monday, finishing with a three-hit shutout while striking out 11 and walking one in a game that ended two batters into the bottom of the sixth. That's when catcher Chloe Ricard hit a walk-off home run, also her second of the season, that hugged the left field line. Kiel, who lowered her ERA to 0.70, had three hits to lift her batting average to a team-high .590. Gnutek's season average rose to .286 with Monday's big game, and she now has 11 RBIs. There's work to be done, but she has time. Gnutek, who plays travel with the Dennison Silver Hawks, batted a robust .453 last season. 'I feel like I was more of a consistent hitter last year with more base hits, which was still good and helped the team,' Gnutek said. 'I've been trying to push through it. 'I've been working with my mental game, doing affirmations and watching my old videos.' Reynard was happy for Monday's power surge, which pushed his team's home run total to six this spring. 'It felt like three to me,' Reynard said. 'It's just another weapon in our game. We've had teams in the past that maybe had a little more pop. 'We have a lot more slappers and we can play small ball with this team. We can beat you in a bunch of different ways.' Gnutek, meanwhile, looks forward to finishing strong. 'I love the high school season because I love playing with my school friends and a lot of us have been playing together since we were 8 years old,' she said. 'A lot of people say high school season isn't as competitive, but I disagree. I feel like there's a lot more at stake. 'Travel season has a new tournament every weekend. For high school, you're working for three months up to that one big tournament.' The fact it's one and done just adds to that pressure.
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
It's about time for Bartlett's Vince Yario, who throws strikes on tough hitting day. ‘You walk people, you lose.'
Bartlett's Vince Yario flashes premium stuff on the mound, but so far this season, the results haven't always followed for the junior right-hander. First-coach Alex Coan hasn't been discouraged, however. 'He's competed really well on the mound,' Coan said of Yario. 'We've run into some really tough lineups. Not making any excuses, but we face really quality opponents.' Viola, Yario put it all together in Monday's Upstate Eight Conference opener against Streamwood. Yario was dominant for the host Hawks in a 5-0 victory and stymied the Sabres over five innings on a frigid day, striking out five while scattering three hits and a walk. He also singled. Josh Colaizzi led Bartlett (3-7-1, 1-0) with an RBI single and a pair of walks and threw a perfect seventh to close out the game. Joe Kennedy and Gio Scivittaro each added RBI singles. Casey Nosek, Austin Paskewic and Adan Rojas had the hits for Streamwood (3-4, 0-1). Yario said there wasn't a specific focus during bullpen sessions that turned his season around. 'I just had a lot more confidence out there,' Yario said. 'We've faced a lot of tough competition this year. That's good for us because we need it.' Coming into Monday's start, Yario had struck out 23 in 11 innings while allowing 13 earned runs and 11 walks. He only walked one against Streamwood. 'I've been getting into a lot of three-ball counts and that was my goal — to lower that this year and this outing,' Yario said. 'That's all I wanted to focus on, just throwing it over the plate. 'I have a lot of confidence in my team, too.' Yario pumped strikes on a tough hitting day, which stood out to Streamwood coach Dan Jennings. 'He threw a lot of strikes,' Jennings said of Yario. 'He threw to everyone in the order, even to guys like Paskewic and Riley Nosek and the middle of the lineup and challenged them to swing the bat. 'On a day like (Monday), if you walk people, you lose.' Streamwood countered with Paskewic, its ace. Bartlett ran up his pitch count and chased him after four innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits. He struck out seven and walked four. 'They do a really good job with two strikes,' Jennings said of Bartlett. 'They battle. I thought (Paskewic) threw well enough to win. He's thrown really well every outing. 'It's just a matter of hitting and making plays in the field. We'll get there. We're young.' The stuff for Yario has always been undeniable. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can throw three or four pitches for strikes, including a slider and an improving change-up. 'He's got really good horizontal break on his fastball,' Coan said. 'He throws a heavy two-seamer. On a warmer day, there would be a little bit better velocity. You're looking at a really special arm. 'He can be a really good piece. I'm really proud of the guy he's grown into. He's just a dog, a competitor.' Yario set out to harness that talent and turn it into results. It started with a switch to a new travel program, Canes Illinois, and has continued in Coan's first season leading the program. 'I really fixed my mechanics,' Yario said. 'That really helped me out a lot. That's all I'm focusing on this year, just my mechanics. Hopefully that brings me to the college level.' Outings like he had Monday will go a long way toward making that hope a reality. 'That's the Vince Yario we know we have on the team,' Coan said. 'We're really proud of him for going out there and doing his thing. We just told him to stay the course.' Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. Originally Published: April 7, 2025 at 10:30 PM CDT
Chicago Tribune
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Failure doesn't faze Mariel Lopez. It's why she leads East Aurora in goals. ‘There will be a positive impact.'
Senior forward Mariel Lopez is pretty philosophical about her game for East Aurora. She takes the approach of a Socrates, making her quest about solving problems and finding answers. And in that manner, Lopez is always looking for ways to make things work. 'A lot of times the game is in my mind, and when I dribble with the ball, I'm in my own flow state,' she said. 'Whenever I get a shot off, sometimes it goes in and sometimes it doesn't. 'You always have to keep trying.' Lopez kept going Thursday night, scoring her team-best ninth goal in the 68th minute to seal a 2-0 victory for the host Tomcats over Fenton in an Upstate Eight Conference crossover game. Freshman midfielder Miley Pereida also scored in the 48th minute off a pass from sophomore forward Aly Rodriguez for East Aurora (6-2-1). Sophomore midfielder Beila Hernandez set up Lopez's goal that put the game away. As a four-year starter, Lopez knows to never get discouraged by plays that go against her. Perseverance is her calling card — in every situation. 'You have to fail before you succeed,' she said. 'That's just the way the game is. You're going to fail and fail and fail, but eventually it's going to work out and there will be a positive impact. 'I have my teammates I always rely on to get me the ball, and that pushes me to be better and get the ball in the net.' Lopez's combination of poise and consistency, while always living in the moment and ready to take advantage, has marked her outstanding play. And it has elevated her team. Senior midfielder Chelsea Fuentes, a captain like Lopez, said her teammate's desire for excellence distinguishes every part of her game. 'She was made to be on the field,' Fuentes said of Lopez. 'I've known her for a long time, and Mariel just has passion. She's always ready, always prepared for the moment and fighting for it. 'She's a challenger. Even at practice, she's always pushing us to be the best that we are capable of. The way she is on the field is how she is in life — sometimes shy but really comfortable and fun when you get to know her.' The youngest of three sisters, Lopez has another reason for joy. Her middle sister Jennifer, who also played for the Tomcats and Aurora University, is a first-year assistant coach in the program. 'My siblings were older, but we all grew up playing soccer together,' Mariel said. 'We'd compete. I remember playing in the backyard and we'd get in trouble for sending the balls over the house. 'At that age, I was competitive and I liked to win.' Jennifer Lopez said her younger sister radiated a belief in her talent at a very young age. 'She was ultracompetitive,' Jennifer said. 'I was older, but she always knew that she could hang. I specifically remember when she was 7 years old. She was in a tournament final and made a shot from midfield. 'Obviously, it was a smaller field, but when I saw her take that shot with confidence, I just knew that one day she was going to be a star. Her playing does her talking for her.' Having her sister as a coach marks a specific bond, but Mariel also sees those connections with her close-knit team. Her success is also theirs. 'I obviously like to attack a lot, and I like to go in there and try to get the ball into the back of the net,' Mariel Lopez said. 'The most important part is connecting my players. 'It's more beautiful when it's a team goal and not just mine alone.'
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Confident slapper Keira Hayton keeps using her speed while batting third for West Aurora. ‘It's gonna go well.'
Keira Hayton feels the need for speed, even if she happens to be slotted into a traditional power spot by batting third in West Aurora's lineup. The 5-foot-4 senior, who signed in February with Missouri-St. Louis, has a game based on speed as she patrols center field for coach Randy Hayslett. Hayslett has three speedsters at the top of his batting order, led by senior shortstop Sara Tarr and followed by strong slappers in sophomore left fielder Gracie Del Toro and Hayton. 'When it's working, it's gonna go well,' Hayton said. 'We have a lot of new people this year and a lot of younger girls. 'I think having Sara, Gracie and me at the top, when we all do our jobs, it will get us going good and give us a good start.' The jury is still out following Tuesday's 13-4 loss to Riverside-Brookfield in Aurora in an Upstate Eight Conference crossover, primarily because of the small sample size. On the plus side, the trio accounted for four of the six hits and three of the runs scored by the Blackhawks (0-2). Two starters had to leave mid-game for a National Honor Society induction and three missed last week's season-opening 9-6 loss to Waubonsie Valley for a school field trip. And pitching, of course, will be just as big in the team's development. Hayslett used three Tuesday — freshman Bella Celeste Doyle and sophomores Ally Lambert and Aminah Leverence. 'Even if one of us three hits a single, the next pitch we're gonna likely be on second,' Hayton said. 'We're all hustling, moving around the bases. That's a good top three right there. I enjoy it.' The trio combined for 39 steals last season — Tarr with 23, Hayton 11 and Del Toro five. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks went 7-for-7 on steals as Tarr and Del Toro recorded two apiece. Hayton, sophomore right fielder Anna Tarr and sophomore infielder Balla Marzullo each had one. Sara Tarr hit a two-run homer, her second of the season, and Marzullo added a two-run single. 'Coach wants me hitting leadoff to get the most at bats,' said Tarr, an Ohio State recruit in her fourth year as a varsity starter. 'I've been batting leadoff every year I've played here. He wanted Keira behind Gracie because Keira is not just a slapper. She can power hit. 'And if Gracie and I are on base, Keira can place the ball. It helps us more with runners on.' Del Toro has made the biggest move after batting ninth last season. 'I was always on the bottom of the order,' Del Toro said. 'It was me and then Sara at leadoff. I had a hint at the end of the year we'd do this and I'd move up. It makes the top of our order very strong. 'I think it's likely that one of us three, if not two or all three, will get on base. Once we do, I remember Keira saying, 'We'll go around the bases. We all have good speed and are able to steal.' Having Anna (Tarr) in right let's us cover a lot of ground, too.' Hayton, who hit .340 last season and earned third team all-state honors, should be able to improve upon her 16 RBIs. 'At first, when I saw I was hitting third, I was like, 'Whoa, boy, I'm no cleanup hitter,'' said Hayton, who has warmed up to the task. 'I make jokes about it, but it will depend on the game situation. 'I'm definitely still more of a slapper, though.' Hayton did a lot of the legwork, along with help from older sister Kaylee, in finding her spot with Missouri-St. Louis. Kaylee, a 2014 West Aurora alum who pitched for both North Central College and Aurora University, teaches young pitchers. She reached out this winter to the coaches after Missouri-St. Louis signed Huntley catcher/shortstop Madison Rozanski. Sophomore May Pasqualini, an Oswego East graduate whose dad Mark coaches Aurora Central Catholic, also plays for Missouri-St. Louis. 'I'm really excited and can't wait to get started,' Keira said.
