Having watched them play since she was 6 years old, Lemont’s Mila Mardjetko is very proud of all five of her sisters.
But she does reserve a little bit of jealousy for her sister Sage, who is currently starring in the pitching circle at climate-friendly Tennessee.
“She’s always telling me how she loves to play in the warm weather,” Mila said. “She says it’s really easy for her to warm up.”
It was 36 degrees Tuesday in Lemont, but Mardjetko handled it just fine in a 12-2 five-inning win over visiting Tinley Park in a South Suburban Blue game.
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The sophomore right-hander struck out 13 and allowed no hits for Lemont (5-3, 4-0). Claire Podrebarac doubled and homered, while Ella Phelan added a pair of hits and Caroline Painter contributed a double.
Sarah Aggen reached base twice for Tinley Park (3-5, 1-1).
Mardjetko, meanwhile, took a shutout into the fifth inning against a Titans team that had scored 43 runs over their first five games. Tinley Park scored two unearned runs in the fifth.
“I’ve been working on all of my pitches, especially my screwball and curve,” Mardjetko said. “I just try throwing my hardest, and if they hit it, they hit it. I know I have a good defense behind me.”
Mardjetko had some serious pop on her fastball against Tinley Park. At 5-foot-11, she is actually an inch taller, but she bears a strong resemblance to Sage when she’s in the circle.
“Yeah, I get told that a lot,” Mardjetko said, smiling.
Mila is the youngest of the Mardjetko sisters. She’s following in the pitching footsteps of Jade, Nina, Sage and Rhea. Kali was a catcher.
She was only 6 years old when her oldest sister, Jade, was the staff ace.
“I loved watching her strike everyone out,” Mila said. “I never thought I could be as good as her.”
Imagine the pressure following Sage. Lemont coach Christine Traina confirmed that Mila fits right in as a staff ace.
The caboose has arrived.
“Just another great kid from a great family,” Traina said. “Mila is coming up well. She works hard, puts her time into it. She goes to the gym and works with somebody to get herself stronger.
“She more looks like Sage out there. But Mila is Mila, you know what I mean? They were all their own person. They bring things that they’ve worked on together growing up, but they are their own people out there on the mound.”
Mila was on Lemont’s roster as a freshman and shared time with three other pitches. She finished with 93 strikeouts in 84 innings.
She and Podrebarec developed a freshman bond, with the latter emerging as a team leader in hitting.
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“Definitely at the beginning when we both didn’t know anybody else we kind of stuck with each other,” Podrebarac said. “It was great for her as a pitcher because she had something to build on.”
Podrebarac also pitches, but most of the time, she’s at second base. She’s usually the first one Mardjetko looks at after she makes a pitch.
During a sectional game last season, it had a very humorous result.
“After one of my pitches, I was wondering why I didn’t get the call,” Mardjetko said. “So I slapped my leg and turned toward Claire.”
There was more.
“Oh yeah, she slapped her leg and started making a face at me,” Podrebarac said, laughing. “So I did it right back. The photographer took a picture of it and got me doing it but not her.
“I looked like the idiot out there by myself. It was really funny.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.