Sports
Softball: Richards Completes Perfect Regular Season with KO of Oak Lawn
Richards 7, Oak Lawn 1. Kailie Tobin went the distance and Brianna LeBeau had three doubles to lead the undefeated Bulldogs.
Touching All the Bases: In the last conference softball game of the season for both Oak Lawn and Richards, the Lady Spartans tried to play spoiler to the Bulldogs’ perfect season. Senior Kailie Tobin and junior Brianna LeBeau, however, helped make sure Richards kept its streak alive with a 7-1 victory in Thursday's crosstown showdown.
The host Bulldogs pounced on the Lady Spartans early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Richards began its half of the first with four straight hits, including two triples. In the second inning, the Bulldogs scored four more runs, with LeBeau’s two-run double highlighting the inning.
The seven runs were all that Tobin needed, as she pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and no earned runs allowed. Tobin got herself out of a jam in the fifth inning after allowing three straight singles to load the bases with only one out. She induced a pop out and, after Katie Sichelksi scored on a Richards error, Tobin notched a strikeout to end the threat.
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Patch’s MVP: Richards’ Tobin allowed no earned runs in seven innings and collected five strikeouts. She also was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Richards’ Leaders: In addition to Tobin: LeBeau (3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 3 doubles), junior second baseman Kristina Apato (2-for-4, RBI), freshman right fielder Jordan Battles (1-for-1 with an RBI single).
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Oak Lawn’s Leaders: Relief pitcher Alexa Rothman (4.2 innings pitched, 3 strikeouts, no earned runs), center fielder Katie Sichelski (1-for-3, 1 run scored), second baseman Rachel Burba (2-for-4).
Quotable: Tobin on the key to getting out of the fifth-inning jam: “Basically just taking it one pitch at a time and staying composed. I know I have a good defense behind me, so I knew if I couldn’t get myself out of it, they would get me out.”
Quotable II: Oak Lawn assistant coach Brian Frangella, who was filling in for head coach Kelly Herlihy, on the fight in his team: “I wish early in the game we would have cut off a couple of those balls from getting in the gap and maybe limited their runs. We got caught on our heels a little bit early. I liked the fight that we had, we just didn’t get the big hit.”
Team Records: Conference champion Richards improved to 28-0 on the season and finished conference play with a 19-0 record. Oak Lawn fell to 9-19 overall and 8-11 in the South Suburban Conference.
What’s Next: Oak Lawn opens the playoffs on Monday against Simeon in a regional quarterfinal matchup. Richards plays Antioch at the Stone City Jamboree in Minooka on Saturday.
