Top Spring Athlete: A Brilliant Junior Achievement for Richards' LeBeau

Bulldogs softball pitcher Brianna LeBeau helped author a truly memorable season with her prowess on the mound and at the plate.

Brianna LeBeau, Richards, junior, softball pitcher The term “team chemistry” is thrown around frequently in the sports world, often without definition. What characteristics make up this special ingredient that so often leads to team success? The Richards softball team exhibited many team chemistry traits this season, so it will serve as a great example. It was this team chemistry that LeBeau is going to remember about the season. “I’m definitely going to remember all of the girls,” LeBeau said. “We had a great time. Just winning all of those games that we won, we all did it together and every single game was a team effort. Not one person overtook the game—we all contributed. And definitely the team chemistry. We all got along and we all …

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Gimme 5: Richards' LeBeau Adds To Family Legacy

Brianna LeBeau is a three-sport athlete for the Bulldogs, just like her two older sisters.

For Richards junior softball pitcher Brianna LeBeau, athletics has been a family matter. LeBeau plays three sports as a Bulldog: volleyball, basketball and softball. Her two older sisters participated in the same sports at Richards. “They were good players,” LeBeau says. “And I have to live up to what they left for me, so I know that I have to play hard in order to keep the family tradition going.” LeBeau was hoping to see the Bulldogs' season keep going longer than it did, but Richards had its postseason run halted with Monday's 4-1 loss to Benet Academy in the Hinsdale Central Supersectional. LeBeau will attend Northwestern and will continue her softball career with the Wildcats. “I think it was just a perfect fit of education and sports…

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Folliard's Focus Is On Her Players as Richards Advances

Longtime softball coach seeks first state title, for the sake of 'good bunch of kids.'

Richards softball coach Julie Folliard has been at the helm since the 1988-89 season and has coached a number of outstanding teams, but she has never made it to the state tournament. Folliard has coached two teams to the supersectionals, in 1993 and 1998. Both times her team fell to the eventual state champion. This postseason run presents a great chance for Folliard to break through to the state tournament. On Wednesday, Richards defeated St. Ignatius 12-3 and advanced to Saturday’s Morton Sectional championship game. With Northwestern-bound Brianna LeBeau on the mound, the Bulldogs seemingly have a chance to beat anybody. On Wednesday, LeBeau pitched a complete-game three-hitter for the win. “We’re all just in it to win it,” junior …

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Athlete of the Week: Richards' Jenkins Provides the Pop in State Playoffs

Hannah Jenkins led the Bulldogs to a regional championship last week, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam.

Richards’ softball team has started the Class 4A state playoffs the same way it started the regular season–with wins. The Bulldogs won a regional championship on Saturday with junior shortstop Hannah Jenkins providing the muscle for the Bulldogs in their two victories. Jenkins hit a grand slam in Richards’ 20-0 romp over Hyde Park on Tuesday in the semifinals of the De La Salle Regional. Then, in Saturday’s De La Salle Regional championship game played at Maria High School, Jenkins hit a three-run home run in Richards’ 15-5 victory. “It’s really, really awesome,” Jenkins said of the regional championship. “We worked so hard all season for this and we really deserve it.” Jenkins finished her day Saturday 3-for-4 with the three-run homer and…

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Local Sports Notebook

Richards, Oak Lawn Finish 1-2 in SSC Red Baseball

Bulldogs, Spartans hoping to address recent shaky outings when playoffs begin.

The dust has settled in the South Suburban Conference, and Richards’ baseball squad has come out on top in the SSC Red. Oak Lawn finished right behind the Bulldogs, in second place. Oak Lawn had a chance to share the conference title with Richards heading into Thursday’s game against Lemont, but the Spartans fell 6-2. Oak Lawn left 10 runners on base and failed to get the big hit, according to coach Brian Clifton. Richards (20-12 overall heading into Friday’s game against Bolingbrook, and 14-5 in the SSC) beat Reavis on Monday and Tuesday to do its part to claim the conference crown. Tuesday’s victory was as wild as they come. Richards rallied from a 7-1 deficit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Reavis 8-7. The Bulldogs, …

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'Fun' Is at the Heart of Richards' 28-0 Softball Season

The Bulldogs still haven't lost a game—and they're keeping their cool as they approach the playoffs.

Richards began its softball season in the middle of March, and now, after having defeated Oak Lawn on Thursday to end its conference season, the Bulldogs still haven’t lost a game. To put the team’s 28-game winning streak in perspective, when it began, the Cubs and the White Sox hadn’t begun the 2011 season, and the Bulls were still in the heart of their regular season. Just how do the Bulldogs not let this massive streak distract them? “I would say it’s our heart,” said Richards senior pitcher Kailie Tobin, who earned the win on Thursday. “We’re so close together and we always take it one step at a time and have fun and stay loose.” On Friday, chants rang out from the Richards dugout, encouraging teammates at the plate. From the outside …

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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…

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Richards' Renken Plays Vital Role Behind Plate

Bulldogs senior catcher Kristin Renken is providing stability for two top pitchers; Evergreen Park is the latest victim of Richards' dominance.

Richards senior Kristin Renken is playing a very important role for the Bulldogs this season: starting catcher. She works behind the plate for two great pitchers—junior Brianna LeBeau and senior Kailie Tobin. “Kris knows that she has a huge responsibility for our team as starting catcher because we have two very good pitchers,” Richards coach Julie Folliard said. “And they can’t be as good as they can be without her working hard every day. I’m really pleased with Kristin Renken.” Renken caught Brianna LeBeau’s complete game on Thursday, a 5-0 victory over Evergreen Park. The victory lifted Richards’ record to 8-0. “It feels good that we’re winning,” Renken said. “Everyone’s on the same page. We’re all a team, we’re all family.” Renken was …

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Extra Special Delivery for Stagg's Fournier

Mary Kate Fournier, known as a defensive standout, launched the game-winning double in Stagg's 4-3 extra-inning win over Mother McAuley, keeping the Chargers unbeaten.

Stagg’s Mary Kate Fournier was at the plate in the bottom of the eighth Monday, with the game between the Chargers and Mother McAuley deadlocked at 3-all. Danielle Stark, who had singled with two outs, was on first base representing the winning run. But Fournier found herself in a 1-ball, 2-strike hole. On the next pitch, she sent the ball into the gap in right-center for a game-winning RBI double. The 4-3 victory lifted Stagg’s record to 9-0, while McAuley fell to 9-2. Fournier often makes her presence felt in center field, but she’s been putting in extra work at the plate recently. "She's been putting in a lot of extra time with her hitting,” Stagg coach Missy Mason said. “She just wants to get better all the time. Defensively, she …

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