The Sports Report

Wyderski's Bat Keeps Marist Softball Booming

Sophomore sensation Brooke Wyderski continues to deliver in clutch situations for the Marist softball team. The RedHawks downed Sandburg 6-5 in nine innings on Friday in a sectional semifinal game in Orland Park.

Marist was down to its last six outs. The RedHawks trailed Sandburg 5-3 after the Eagles erupted for a five-spot in the top of the sixth inning in Friday’s Class 4A softball sectional semifinal in Orland Park. After Sandburg’s Sarah Herold smacked a three-run homer off the scoreboard in left field, there was every reason for gloom and doom to spread like wildfire in the Marist dugout. Heck, Herold hit the ball so hard she momentarily knocked out the power on the scoreboard. You’d think the power in the RedHawks’ bats might have been drained, too. Never happened. Two reasons: Denise Bromberek’s upbeat coaching philosophy and Brooke Wyderski’s never-say-never approach to hitting. As much as anything else, her willpower was the catalyst in …

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4A Softball: Marist Takes Nine-Inning Thriller from Sandburg in Sectional Semifinal

Marist 6, Sandburg 5: Maggie Gorman's bases-loaded RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning snapped a 5-5 deadlock as the RedHawks edged the Eagles Friday in sectional semifinal play in Orland Park.

Touching All the Bases: While nearly everyone around her was going crazy, Maggie Gorman somehow managed to stay clam before connecting for a game-winning RBI single in Marist’s 6-5 nine-inning softball victory over Sandburg on Friday afternoon in Orland Park. The RedHawks loaded the bases with nobody out against Eagle pitching ace Amanda Barna in an epic semifinal battle in the Class 4A Sandburg Sectional. Gorman’s sense of calm came from the feeling Marist was in the driver’s seat. She said if she didn't get a hit, another one of the RedHawks would have delivered the goods. Gorman ripped Barna’s first pitch down the left field line. The ball had grand slam written all over it—but hooked foul. Then, with an 0-1 count, Gorman went the other…

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UPDATE: Andrew's Lenza Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Andrew softball standout Jenna Lenza outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for April Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Softball: Stewart, L-W East Blast Past Sandburg

Lincoln-Way East 4, Sandburg 1: Junior catcher Sam Stewart slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to power the Griffins in a battle between neighborhood rivals Thursday in Frankfort.

Touching All the Bases: The question of which ball was hit harder drew a smile from Lincoln-Way East softball coach Elizabeth Pawlicki. Pawlicki said she was OK after taking a hot smash off the bat of Sam Stewart in the right leg while standing in the third base coach’s box in the sixth inning of the Griffins’ 4-1 victory over Sandburg Wednesday in Frankfort. The Eagles were all but knocked out when Stewart connected earlier for a two-run homer. Her fourth-inning blast was her sixth of the season and put East on top 3-0 in the Southwest Suburban Blue Conference showdown between neighborhood rivals. The Griffins’ Kacyee Hart and Chrisi Mizera made the cushion stand up on the mound. Hart (9-3) allowed one run on five hits over six innings to…

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UPDATE: Andrew's Durkin Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Andrew baseball standout Dan Durkin notched 10 straight hits in one three-game stretch. He also outpolled 11 others in Patch's weekly MVP balloting. He is now eligible for March Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Local Sports Notebook

Now It Can Be Said of Ex-Sandburg Softball Stars: Two Cheered for Each Other During Big Ten Play

Ashley Conrad and Sara Olsen, best friends at Sandburg High School and rivals in college, always rooted for each other when they were playing softball in the Big Ten.

Earlier this week, Patch reported the story of two Sandburg teammates and best friends who parted ways to play collegiate softball at different schools, one at Illinois, the other at Indiana. Despite the rivalry between the two Big Ten schools, when Sara Olson and Ashley Conrad played each other, they still wished each other the best of luck, even if they did not always admit as much to their Illini or Hoosier teammates. Conrad shared her feelings. "Although it definitely is a rivalry between the two schools, I don't ever think it was between Sara (Olson) and me," she said. "Yes, we wanted our teams to win, but we always wanted each other to do well and got excited for one another when we did. "I remember a game my freshmen year (2008) …

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