– Tania Pisut is running out of fingers to break. If Saturday`s 5-4 upset of No. 1 Thornwood in the second game of a double-header was costly to Lockport (16-5), which had been streaking lately after an injury-plagued start, it was costlier to Pisut. The broken finger she suffered will sideline her for the season. Pisut, a third baseman, hit leadoff for the Porters and had been an integral part of their success. Strangely enough, she had been playing despite breaking the forefinger on the same (left) hand earlier this season. Pisut`s season ended when she fractured the little finger on that hand sliding into second base on an attempted steal.
– The combatants in Saturday`s first-place showdown in the Private School League went home cold, wet and unhappy. Most teams were snowed out, but given the importance of the games, Aurora Central Catholic and Nazareth Academy stuck it out. ”We had snow, rain, cold-probably every season there is,” said Aurora Central coach Debi Handell. ”No, I take that back. We didn`t have summer.” Nazareth (21-3) could have clinched the crown outright with a sweep, but after winning the opener 3-1, ace Cheryl Zygadlo was pounded for 17 hits in a 12-1 loss in the nightcap. The Roadrunners (14-1 in the league) can clinch a tie if they beat Luther South Tuesday. Aurora Central could have clinched a tie for the crown with a sweep, but when it finally solved Zygadlo it was too late. The Chargers finish up with a double-header against Illiana Christian Wednesday.
– Sandburg (17-3-1, 5-1 South Inter-Conference Association North Division) avenged Wednesday`s 4-3 loss to Stagg (24-2, 7-1) in a big way Friday. The Eagles banged out 10 hits to beat Heidi Neal 14-0. Neal had been the winner Wednesday when Stagg used its speed to bunt its way to victory over a bigger, more powerful but more flustered Sandburg team. ”We haven`t been hitting,” said Sandburg coach Bill DeVries. ”But we really hit the ball this time. Some of them were shots. The victory was nice in that regard. I had the feeling after they (Stagg) beat us Wednesday, that they thought they couldn`t be beat. That`s why I was concerned about Friday`s game. It was important that we jump out right away and we did.” First baseman Jenny McGuinness (.419)
slugged her fourth homer of the season to key Sandburg`s rout.
TRACK AND FIELD
– Bloom`s Chet Lacheta was absent from the Hinsdale Central Relays because he was taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Trojan coach Lonnell Poole inserted 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pounder junior Bryant Young, who responded with a 50-5 effort in the shot for third place. ”Chet could have made it here for the discus but we said, `Why not let Young throw?` ” said Poole. ”We need to groom someone for when these guys graduate.”
– Bloom weightman Mike LaDere signed a letter of intent with Illinois State on Friday. ”It`s a weight off my shoulders,” said LaDere. ”I don`t have to worry about recruiting calls now. I know where I want to go and can concentrate on throwing.”
BASEBALL
– At St. Rita, coach Jim Prunty can`t say enough about senior pitcher Marty Lacny, who set a school record with his 30th victory recently. Off to a 6-2 start this season, Lacny has helped the No. 6 Mustangs (19-5)
immeasurably. ”He`s been a big part of our success,” said Prunty. ”We didn`t ask him to have the kind of season he did last year (11-3 on a 25-12 team), but he`s doing quite a job. He didn`t give up an earned run in either game he lost.” Another St. Rita player closing in on a milestone is first baseman Rich Josepher, whose 100 career runs batted in are 11 short of the team record. A three-year starter, Josepher is batting .521 this season.
SOCCER
– Shepard may be in the first season of its soccer program, but that doesn`t mean the Astros are green. Many of them have played park district soccer, which has helped quite a bit. ”Originally, we didn`t plan to start the girls` program this year,” said Shepard coach Joe Dowling. ”You won`t see us in any of the schedules. A lot of people don`t know we exist.” Teams from Queen of Peace, Bloom Trail, Eisenhower, Rich South and Bremen sure do, as evidenced by the Astros` 5-1 mark. Shepard`s only loss was in the first meeting with Andrew. ”I`m excited about what we`ve done,” said Dowling. ”We have 17 girls, and five of our eight freshmen are starting. We have a good, young nucleus for the future.”
BADMINTON
– Palatine can forget about sneaking up on the competition at this weekend`s state tournament at New Trier. The Pirates, who were slight favorites to win the state title going into Saturday`s Fremd sectional, might be even bigger favorites coming out. Palatine finished 1-2 in singles (Jenny Link and Melissa Stevens) and also qualified both doubles teams (Stacey Fander-Colleen McKeown, Kelly Quinn-Heather Recker) for state while routing runner-up McHenry 12 1/2-4 1/2. Palatine`s chances got a boost when Evanston failed to qualify its No. 2doubles team of Mary Lembke and Elizabeth Johnson out of the New Trier sectional, despite winning the team title 7 1/2-5 1/2 over New Trier. Lembke and Johnson (20-5) were ousted by New Trier qualifiers Heather Leahey and Ellie White. Andrew, another title contender, qualified only one singles player out of the Lockport sectional. The Thunderbolts, though, could score a lot of points with their two superb doubles teams
(Teresa Bahaveolos-Debbie Pruim and Madeline Ramos-Sheryl Dworak). And Andrew`s Carrie DiSanto is no slouch. She advanced despite losing to Lockport`s Jenny Ebenroth for the No. 1 singles title.
