Third-place for scrappy Glenbard South

EAST PEORIA, Ill. — It was not the usual suspects, but host of different players who authored a dramatic comeback for Glenbard South.

The Raiders tied the Class 3A third-place game on a pinch double by Therese O'Shea in the seventh, and won it on some nifty base running by Lauren Podgorski. Glenbard South won the school's first softball trophy by edging Marengo 2-1 in eight innings Saturday at EastSide Centre.

Marengo (27-12) broke a scoreless tie in the sixth when Dana Diedrick singled home Hal Kunde, who singled and reached third on a throwing error.

In the bottom of the seventh, Emily Braem walked. With one out, star pitcher Jill Trzaska, who had ben lifted in the circle after suffering an asthma attack, was pinch-hit for by O'Shea, who smashed the first pitch for a double to right that tied the game.

"Jill wanted to bat, but she was hyperventilating," Raiders coach Julie Fonda said.

"They told me the first pitch was right there," O'Shea said. "It's the pitch I look for. I knew it was hit well. When I was rounding first, I saw that it was in play."

With Trzaska struggling in the heat and humidity, first baseman Robin Borowski pitched the last two innings.

"My hands are numb and so are my feet," Trzaska said. "But this is just awesome. To be third out of 170 teams is something that most teams dream about."

In the eighth, Podgorski, who was 0-for-6 in the finals, singled to lead off. Then, Nikki Simpson turned around to the left side and after Podgorski stole second, bunted her to third. Catcher Jess Fijolek reached on a fielder's choice when her grounder toward third was fielded without a throw.

That brought up freshman second baseman Jenny Wittenberg, who bats cleanup and struck out only four time all season, one in the first inning of this game.

"All I knew was I needed to make contact and hit it on the ground to anyone but the pitcher or third baseman," Wittenberg said. "But I kind of knew if I hit it anywhere, Lauren wold make it."

"I told Lauren, if it was on the ground, she was gone," Fonda said. "She's the fastest one on the team. faster than I ever was. Lauren's base hit was heaven for me. She struggled here but came through when it mattered most."

Fonda held the state record for stolen bases for more than a decade.

"I've been struggling and to to tell the truth, I was a little nervous," Podgorski said. "When I was on third, I heard Fonda say go as soon as the ball was hit, and I went."