Downers Grove South senior
Marissa Mersch
has an outside shot at becoming the state’s all-time hits leader.
The Wisconsin-bound left fielder, who needs 19 to break the record of 252 by Kankakee’s
Allie VadeBoncouer
, will have to average two hits per game and her team would have to advance to a sectional semifinal.
Two regular-season games will be against two of the top pitchers in the state — defending 4A champ Sandburg and
Lora Olson
on Tuesday and Richards’
Brianna LeBeau
, a strong candidate for player of the year, on May 21.
“I feel Marissa is one of the premier leadoff hitters in the state and in the history of IHSA softball,” Downers coach
Ron Havelka
said. “She has been the catalyst of our offense for four years. She has had only 15 career games in which she did not get a hit.”
Mersch has 53 hits through 25 games this season, and 234 for her career through Saturday.
Mersch has had seven career four-hit games, 32 three-hit games and is fifth on the hits list.
Her career average is .514 and she is hitting .602 with a career-best six home runs and 36 RBIs this season.
Top teams take collective hit:
The parity in softball this season continues. Last week six of the Tribune’s Top 10 teams lost. The biggest upset? It’s a toss-up between Hoffman Estates beating No. 1 Elk Grove and Bradley-Bourbonnais beating No. 4 Stagg.
Other upsets included Lockport beating preseason No. 1 Sandburg, Geneva beating No. 2 St. Charles North and York over No. 3 Downers Grove South.
TOP PERFORMERS
Brittany Warnecke, Oswego East:
The sophomore shortstop was 11-for-16 with three home runs, giving her five this season to go with a .557 batting average.
Becca Gray, Marian Catholic:
The senior was 15-for-23 at the plate, 5-0 in the circle and allowed just three earned runs and has helped lead the Spartans to 13 wins in a row.
Sarah Koch, Lake Park:
The Benedictine-bound senior shortstop was 9-for-15 with four doubles, a home run and four RBIs. She is hitting .427 with just two strikeouts in 80 at-bats.
Marissa Mersch, Downers Grove South:
The Wisconsin-bound senior outfielder was 14-for-22 with 14 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 RBIs. She leads the team in RBIs (36) batting from the leadoff spot.
Chase Machain, Trinity:
Back from a back injury, the sophomore pitcher was 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA that included two shutouts. She also batted .538.
Taylor Russell, St. Charles North:
The senior third baseman was 11-for-15 with a home run and 10 RBIs for the third-ranked team. She will play for Indianapolis.
CAN’T-MISS GAMES
Elgin at St. Charles North, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Lockport at Marist, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Stagg at Downers Grove North, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Homewood-Flossmoor at Beecher, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Fremd at Conant, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday
Lincoln-Way East at Homewood-Flossmoor, 4:30 p.m. Friday
Lake Park at Neuqua Valley, 4:30 p.m. Friday
Leyden at Downers Grove South, 4:30 p.m. Friday
Richards at Riverside-Brookfield, 9 a.m. Saturday
Elk Grove at Lake Park, 2 p.m. Saturday
