By Craig Lynch –
High school freshman softball pitcher Lauren Derkowski took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and York High School held off scrappy St. Charles North, 5-3, in the Rosemont Class 4A Super-sectional Monday night.
“Lauren is a real go-getter,” said York head coach Elizabeth Munn.
The Dukes put pressure on St. Charles North losing pitcher Jilian Waslawski, 14-8, by scoring a run in the first inning on Madison Collins’ single. The Dukes, 28-12, added two runs in the fourth inning. Mia Tran hit a run-scoring triple and she scored on Durkowski’s sacrifice fly.
York pitcher Durkowski registered nine strikeouts and improved her record to 16-6.
York’s final two runs were driven home by Jane Moran who hit an inside the park home run.
“I am a slapper so this was really special for me,” said the senior Moran. “Those runs were key.”
York will play Rock Island in a State tournament semifinal game at 3 p.m. Friday at East Side Centre in East Peoria. Plainfield North, which defeated Sandburg, 5-4, in the Hinsdale South Super-sectional game, will play Palatine in the other State semifinal, at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The North Stars, who have been knocked out in super-sectionals three of the last four years, rallied in the seventh inning. Grace Quinn’s bases-loaded single drove home the first run. Sydney drove home two with another hit, but Quinn was tagged out between second base and third base. Olivia Obome grounded out to end the game.
York out-hit the North Stars, 10 to three.
“I just wasn’t at my best tonight,” said Waslawski, who pitched the North Stars into the final eight and shut out Fremd, 1-0, Saturday.
“Their pitcher was really good,” said Waslawski.
The North Stars fell to 20-10 to end the season.
• In Class 3A Kaneland defeated Vernon Hills, 11-1, in six innings in the Kaneland Super-sectional, and Montini defeated Lemont, 8-3, in the Rosemont Super-sectional. Kaneland will play Providence Catholic at 10 a.m. Friday in one Class 3A State semifinal and Montini will play Mt. Zion at 12:30 p.m..
