Fillies Take Regional Softball Championship

Barrington’s power pitching and hitting helped secure its 4-0 win over Zion-Benton during the May 28 regional championship game.

The Fillies, the fourth seed in the Warren Sectional, got on the scoreboard early with two quick runs in the first inning. The rally began with senior outfielder Colleen Shandley’s patience at the plate drawing the leadoff walk. 

Later in the inning, Shandley would put herself into scoring position by stealing second, but she would trot home thanks to a two out blast off the bat of fellow senior Kiersten Tinkoff. The slugging first baseman would end 2 for 3 with these two runs batted in.

“It was early but a big turning point for us,” Barrington coach Perry Peterson said of Tinkoff’s dinger. “It gave us confidence and momentum.”

After that, it was senior Kiley Dolezal’s power pitching that would take over; she only allowed the Zee-Bees one hit (eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings). Dolezal’s shutout adds to Barrington’s scoreless streak in the Zion Regional – the Fillies haven’t allowed a run thus far in the early stages of the playoffs (defeating Prospect 7-0).

“Dolezal played really well,” Petersen said of his pitcher who averaged more than a strikeout per inning while throwing 70 percent of her pitches (67 of 96) as strikes. “She had a great day for us.”

While Dolezal did not really need additional run support, Barrington (27-10) would add to its 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Loren Krzysko led off the inning with a solo shot. Krzysko finished (1 for 3) in the game.

“She took that first pitch over the centerfield wall,” Peterson said of Krzysko’s 12th home run of the season, a single season record for the sophomore. “That led off (the scoring) in the inning for us.”

Later in the inning senior outfielder Liz Owen would double, setting up Barrington’s fourth run. Tess Bolger, a pitch runner, would come around to score the Fillies final tally on a base hit by Savonnah Osmanski that helped clinch the Zion- Benton Regional Championship for Barrington.

The regional plaque was Barrington’s 15th overall and the 12th in Peterson’s 19 years as the skipper of the Fillies. 

“We are just happy to be getting out of there with a win,” Peterson said of the Fillies 10th consecutive regional crown with the last seven victories coming on the road.

In a Mid-Suburban League-littered Warren Sectional, Barrington will face MSL rival and top-seeded Fremd (27-5-1) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 1. Palatine also advanced to the sectional semis and will play Lake Zurich on Thursday, June 2.

Barrington beat Fremd both times these teams faced each other, with both wins coming behind an outstanding pitching performance by Dolezal. She pitched Barrington to an 8-2 victory earlier in the season, and just recently the Fillies beat the Lady Vikes 3-0 back on May 16 for Barrington’s Senior Night.