Softball: Elgin bows out against Schaumburg

Updated: May 23, 2012 8:14PM

A lack of offensive production spelled the end of Elgin’s season on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss to Schaumburg in a semifinal game at the Class 4A Elk Grove Regional.

The No. 6 seed Maroons collected just two hits on the day against the No. 10 seed Saxons and pitcher Renee Kakareka, who advance to play Elk Grove in Saturday’s title game.

“Two hits – you’re not going to win too many games with two hits,” said Elgin coach Chad Dahlman. “It was a well-played game. That’s the type of game I want to see. I don’t want to see us lose by making errors in the field.”

It was a bittersweet ending for Elgin senior pitcher Hannah Perryman. The four-year starter broke the school record for most career strikeouts when Kristen Safley fanned to end the top of the fifth. Perryman fanned 14 on the day to end her career with 840 Ks.

“It’s nice to have all the strikeouts, but it’s really a team effort,” said Perryman, who finishes the year at 17-9 and will play at Division II Missouri-St. Louis. “I’m happy with everyone and how they did today. I’m proud of myself, but I couldn’t have done it without (catcher Kelly Bremer). She does an incredible job and I wouldn’t have gotten the strikeouts without her.”

Schaumburg (19-14) got on the board in the second inning when Courtney Raschk hit a towering two-out home run to left field for a 1-0 lead.

“After I saw that one go out I was like ‘I better start throwing the ball harder and move the ball more,’” Perryman said. “They got hits when they needed to and did well.”

Elgin (20-12) got that run back in the fourth when sophomore Jennah Perryman crushed a two-out pitch over the fence in left-center.

However, the Saxons went up 2-1 in the fifth on an RBI single from Sarah May. Kakareka, a senior, allowed just one baserunner following the Jennah Perryman home run, a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh, and finished with eight strikeouts.

“She’s had a really awesome year,” Schaumburg coach Ellen Stoddard said of her pitcher. “She’s just playing her game. She comes out every day, knows what she needs to do and does it.”

Added Dahlman: “We’ve been telling the team these regional games are gonna be 2-1 type games. She came out and moved it around to keep us off-balanced. We took some called strikes and weren’t aggressive.”

Bremer provided the only other hit for Elgin, and Perryman gave up six hits on the day with no walks.

“Today was the last day of school too and I don’t feel like it should be over. I feel like I should still be a freshman,” said Perryman, who also holds the single-season strikeout mark at Elgin. “I’m gonna miss all the girls.”

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