Union Ridge School’s girls’ softball team has made up for losing the 2020 season to COVID, and a previous 20-year title drought, by capturing its second straight Norwood-Leyden Athletic Conference championship.
Comprised of sixth through eighth graders at the Harwood Heights school, the Huskies defeated Elmwood Park Middle School 11-5 on Sept. 28 in Rosemont for their latest championship. Pitcher Lilly Pedd went six innings for her second straight title-game clinching performance. An intentional walk to first baseman Lexi Russ set up catcher-outfieler Zoe Rosinski’s key bases-loaded triple.
“At the beginning I was a bit nervous – there were a lot of people there,” said Pedd. “But by the second inning, I knew I had this and we could win.”
Finishing the season with 11 wins, no losses and one tie, the Huskies defeated Rosemont School and Mannheim Middle School in the playoffs to make the championship game. They also compete against neighborhood rivals Pennoyer School and Giles Middle Schools, along with Hester Junior High (Franklin Park), River Grove School and Rhodes School in River Grove in their conference.
In her 14th season as head coach, Lisa Malicki knew she had a potential future championship contender with many of her players in her Union Ridge gym class in first and second grade.
“I said by the time they’re in sixth grade will have [their] first championship,” Malicki said.
When players reach sixth grade, they are eligible to play for the Huskies. But just as this crop of players reached that juncture, the pandemic struck.
“When (District 86 superintendent) Michael Maguire said no sports, it was devastating,” Malicki said. “My whole career was coaching.”
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Once competition resumed in the fall of 2021 – middle-school girls’ softball is played in the fall instead of the spring as in high school – Malicki’s core was ready to roll.
In addition to Pedd, Russ and Rosinski, the players include center fielder/catcher Brooklyn Jack, pitcher/shortstop Annabelle Mikrut, third baseman Victoria Cadena, second baseman Sophia Styliaras, and outfielders Krisha Patel, Bella Mendoza, Kayla Wenc, Mikaela Irizarry, Isis Artner and Olivia Wahlquist. Thomas Rasche is team manager.
Malicki is assisted as pitching coach by daughter Alyssa Malicki, a North Park University pitcher. The younger Malicki, at a “big sister” age to the players rather than an adult faculty member, was credited with getting through to her pitchers.
“Alyssa knew when times were getting stressful in games,” said Pedd. “She’d help you fix it, and say it in a calm voice.”
The Huskies had their own level of motivation.
“You just have to have a good mindset,” said Russ. “It takes a lot of practice. I had great coaches.
Now Malicki is charged with building the next great Union Ridge team.
“I have to recruit the next group of girls,” she said. “I try to encourage the parents to learn in the Norridge-Harwood Heights Little League program. That’s why this team is so special, they’ve been in softball so long.”