With pitcher Sarah Klonowski bringing her “A” game for the clincher, St. Laurence made history by winning its first GCAC Red championship.
The senior right-hander turned in a two-hit, 10-strikeout performance Wednesday in the Vikings’ 1-0 win over Mother McAuley. On Sunday, she was named the conference’s player of the year.
Klonowski thanked all of the right people for helping put her at the top of St. Laurence’s all-time list for pitching.
“I couldn’t have done this without my pitching coach, Steve Ball, and then coach Teagan (Walsh),” Klonowski said. “It’s just unbelievable how much they’ve done for me.”
Klonowski has also done a lot to help herself after being the No. 2 pitcher on the staff as a sophomore.
“She’s a selfless, hardworking kid who deserves all she has earned,” Walsh said. “She has come such a long way just since sophomore year to become this mentally tough competitor.
“She’s fierce and gritty. Sarah doesn’t want you to beat her. She’ll figure out a way to beat you before you beat her. I think that’s what makes her so good.”
Klonowski recently passed the 400 mark for career strikeouts. She has 158 strikeouts and a 0.67 ERA in 114 1/3 innings this spring for the Vikings (19-3). Opponents are hitting a scant .171 against her.
Going into her junior season, Klonowski was slotted to — at best — pitch half of the Vikings’ games. But when the other pitcher didn’t return, the workload fell to her.
Klonowski made the most of it, leading the Vikings to a Class 3A supersectional.
“At first, I was really scared,” Klonowski said. “I was very anxious going out there, especially first couple of times, knowing everyone was counting on me.
“This season, my teammates are always supporting me, my coaches are always supporting me and the fans are also supporting me. I’m 10 times more comfortable.”
Strike up the cheers: Senior pitcher Sage Mardjetko got a big surprise during Lemont’s 3-0 victory Saturday over Beecher.
After she struck out a batter in the top of the fourth inning, her teammates poured out of the dugout and rushed the circle.
Mardjetko didn’t know it, but she had just recorded her 750th career strikeout. During the celebration, she was presented with the ball and a cookie cake.
“I was so confused,” Mardjetko said, laughing. “I was like, ‘What are you guys doing?’ But it was awesome to see the support that my teammates have for me.”
The South Carolina recruit won’t catch the Lemont’s all-time leader for strikeouts. Suzie Rzegocki had 1,467 during her career from 2004 to 2007. But to reach 750 in only 2 1/2 seasons as the staff ace is remarkable.
And a wonderful sight to see for Lemont coach Christine Traina.
“I’m so happy for her,” Traina said. “And this was with missing the COVID season. I can’t even imagine what she would have done with that extra time.
“I always say the same thing, but I feel like I have a front-row seat to watch something spectacular.”
The one who knew the longest about the celebration was catcher Frankie Rita.
“My mom actually came up with it,” Rita said. “And I had to keep the secret for so long because she knew last week. We had to make a little secret group chat to keep it away from Sage and her sister (Rhea).
“We wanted to do something big for her. Obviously, her next goal will be 800. Who knows what that surprise will be? I guess we’ll see then.”
Did you know? When Mardjetko threw a no-hitter in the 2022 Class 3A state championship game, she joined one other Southland pitcher in achieving such a gem on the season’s final weekend.
In 2015, Lincoln-Way East’s Nikole Van Gennep allowed no hits in five innings of an 11-0 win over Barrington in the Class 4A semifinals.
In 2005, Sandburg’s Kaitlin Colosimo fired a no-hitter through eight innings but lost 1-0 in nine innings to Barrington in the Class AA quarterfinals.