Elmwood Park wins first sectional

Kristin Jakobsen scattered seven hits and was backed up by solid defense and clutch hitting as Elmwood Park won its first sectional title in any girls sport by beating host Trinity 8-3 Saturday in the Class 3A Trinity Sectional.

The Tigers (26-13) avenged a regular-season loss to top-seeded Trinity (24-11), which was gunning for its first softball sectional championship.

“It means the world to me,” said Jakobsen (25-12), a St. Cloud State recruit and the only senior on a squad that starts six freshmen. “We’ve been working hard throughout the years for this and to finally accomplish it is awesome. The fact that [we beat] Trinity makes it way sweeter.”

Elmwood Park scored four in the top of the third, taking advantage of the control problems of Trinity’s Emma-Leigh Strock, who walked the bases loaded. The Tigers’ 7-8-9 hitters – freshman Rachel Sannicandro, junior Michelle Knight and freshman Brittany Fanella -followed with two-outs singles.

The Tigers made it 8-1 with a four-run sixth as Strock hit three batters, including Diana Gordon with the bases loaded. Sophomore catcher Michelle Tinajero, whose sister attends Trinity, followed with a two-run double and later stole home.

Tinajero also picked a runner off third base with Trinity star Monica Albano (3-for-4) at the plate to end the fifth inning. Albano was on deck in the third when Knight threw out a runner at the plate from center field to complete an inning-ending double play.

Emily Landa had a pinch two-run double for Trinity in the sixth.