Batter Up: Teams Need to Register for Softball Challenge

This year's Frankfort Neighborhood Softball Challenge will be open to 16 teams and go to help Camp Quality. Find out how to participate.

Frankfort homeowners can register for a friendly game of softball that also helps a good cause. Organizers for the 16th annual Frankfort Neighborhood Softball Challenge, which will be Aug. 12 at Main Park, are looking for 16 teams from the village's subdivisions and homeowners associations to compete in the tournament. The event will benefit Camp Quality, a local program for children suffering from cancer that is run through Camp Manitoqua. Here are the guidelines for registering: Registration costs $400 per team, which includes 15 team T-shirts. Teams will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis. Contact Chuck or Sue Christensen at cschristensen6@att.net or cell at 312-560-1567 to register or for more information.   Two Ways to Stay …

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Providence Softball Loses 2-1 in State Semis

The Celtics offense stranded 13 runners in a loss to defending state champion Marengo. They'll play for third place in the Class 3A state tournament Saturday morning.

Providence Catholic's softball team made history this season, making the state playoffs for the first time. And despite another strong outing Friday morning, it wasn't enough against a team that had already been there.  Marengo High School, the defending state softball champions, defeated Providence 2-1 in eight innings during the Class 3A state semifinals.  Neither team was able to get much offensively, but in the bottom of the eighth inning and only one out, Marengo senior Reed Karsten sat at third base. Providence catcher Ellie Bartosz tried to pick her off, but the ball sailed into left field, bringing home Karsten for the winning run.  Lindsay Melson got the win for Marengo, pitching a complete game with 11 strikeouts. Her only run …

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Providence Softball Heading to State Semis

The Providence Catholic softball team won 4-3 on Monday against Geneseo High School. The Celtics are one of four teams left and play in the state semifinals Friday morning.

The Providence Catholic softball team won its third-straight one-run game, advancing to the Class 3A state playoffs.  Celtics pitcher Amanda Wilson led the way, along with Morgan Greenwood's three RBIs, to give the Celtics (28-12) a 4-3 victory against Geneseo High School in an extra-innings thriller Monday afternoon.  After going down 2-0 early, Providence's Greenwood doubled to tie the game 2-2. The score wouldn't change until the game required an extra frame.  With two outs in the top of the eighth inning, the Celtics rallied as Maeve Garvey got a two-out single. Wilson, the pitcher, got an RBI double to put Providence ahead 3-2, and Greenwood came up big again, doubling off the fence to give the Celtics a two-run cushion.  That would …

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Palos School District 118

10:28 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Congrats Provi girls! Good luck at state!   more ›

The Business End

Let It Rip Sports: Owner's Baseball Dream Reborn at New Location

The indoor baseball and softball facility was sidelined over the summer. But a chance encounter led to its doors being reopened at a bigger and better spot.

This summer, Andy Paszko and Kim Baker had to bench their business, Let It Rip Sports. The brother-and-sister owners hadn't lost any of their desire to run the indoor baseball and fast-pitch softball training facility, but when the terms of the lease at their old location changed and they couldn't find a suitable replacement location, the two called it quits. "That place was my life," said Paszko, who is also a coach for Lincoln-Way East High School's baseball team. "I was there through December (to) April, May, seven days a week. It became my life. ... To build up to that point and and all of the sudden have it fall from underneath me, that was it. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to do nothing." LIKE WHAT LET IT RIP SPORTS …

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L-W East Grad Wins Softball League's Rookie of the Year Award

Alisa Goler, third baseman for the Chicago Bandits, led the National Pro Fastpitch league in home runs this season.

Lincoln-Way East High School graduate Alisa Goler won the National Pro Fastpitch Miken Rookie of the Year award as the third baseman for the Chicago Bandits softball team. Goler, who hails from Frankfort, NPF in home runs (11), and was second in RBIs (29) and fourth in batting average (.327). She split time at third and first base and finished the 2011 season with two errors.  Goler graduated from the University of Georgia and was selected in the third round of the 2011 NPF Senior Draft with the 12th overall selection. This is the Bandits fourth consecutive season and fifith overall since the team started in 2005 that a rookie earned the award. READ MORE about Goler in our Glory Days feature from June.

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Gimme 5: Like The Dude, L-Way North's O’Connell Abides

A rug can tie a room together, but Coley O’Connell helps tie Lincoln-Way North and the greater community together as a coach, teacher, volunteer, fundraiser and more.

Lincoln-Way North’s Coley O’Connell wears many hats, and not just the Irish tweed kind. He hits the lanes as the boys bowling coach, is the man in the classroom as a special education teacher and takes control of student discipline as a part-time dean. These three jobs are enough to keep most men busy, but O’Connell does even more as both a volunteer and philanthropist. He’s a sponsor of the annual St. Baldrick’s Club, which supports childhood cancer research, so he’s guaranteed at least one big haircut every year. Most recently, he helped organized the Will County Celtic Fest, which was held the final weekend in July. The fest provided a weekend of great food, games and entertainment for folks of all ages. He also lends a helping hand …

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Local Sports Notebook

Griffins Clipped in Summer Baseball Playoffs

Joliet Catholic's late rally eliminates Lincoln-Way East from the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association tourney.

Lincoln-Way East got the best of Lincoln-Way North during the spring baseball playoffs, ending North’s season in the Class 4A Sandburg Sectional semifinal game. On Wednesday night, it appeared as if a summer rematch would be in store, as the Griffins led Joliet Catholic Academy 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. But JCA's Adam Collins and Alex Voitik hit solo home runs in the inning to hand the Griffins a stunning 6-5 loss. That ended Lincoln-Way East’s run in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer playoffs, and it spoiled the potential L-Way East vs. L-Way North rematch. Lincoln-Way North went on to beat Joliet Catholic 13-12 in eight innings on Thursday, erasing an early 12-0 deficit, to win the …

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Local Sports Notebook

IHSBCA Summer Baseball Playoffs Begin Monday

The Sandburg regional is jam-packed with all four Lincoln-Way high schools as well as Providence.

The four Lincoln-Way high school baseball teams will begin play in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) Phil Lawler Summer Classic on Monday. All four Lincoln-Way teams are in the Sandburg regional with the title game scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday. The most notable potential matchup would be Providence versus Lincoln-Way North at 7 p.m. Monday in Frankfort. Providence faces Stagg at 4 p.m. on Monday and would have to win to move on to face the No. 2 seed Phoenix. Lincoln-Way East will have to rise early in the morning to face Tinley Park at 10 a.m. Monday in a game at Plainfield South, while Lincoln-Way West will battle Romeoville at 11 a.m. Monday at Sandburg. Lastly, Lincoln-Way Central will host Chicago …

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Sports Video Highlight Reel: Frankfort Fusion Softball Cooks Up a Holiday Treat

The Frankfort Fusion 12-under softball team downed the Orland Lightning 8-4 in the final round of pool play at the Orland Youth Association's Fourth of July tournament.

It was a night of Fusion at the Humphrey Park ball fields as the 12-under Frankfort Fusion took on the Orland Park Lightning in the final round of pool play at the Orland Youth Association Fourth of July softball tournament. In a time-restricted game, the Fusion came away with an 8-4 victory. Pitchers Alyssa Boyd and Alicia Albanese were solid. Each had their strikeout pitches working. And each recorded a number of groundball outs, too. Julianna Simon was awarded the individual performance medal by the Orland team after the game. She played solid defense both in the outfield and infield and contributed on offensive side of the ball, too. The Fusion finished pool play with a 3-0 record.

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Glory Days

Former L-W East Softball Standout Goler Takes to Being Called a Bandit

Playing pro softball close to home with the Chicago Bandits eases Alisa Goler's pain following a disappointing end to her Georgia career.

After the University of Georgia women’s softball team fell just short of its third straight trip to the College World Series, Lincoln-Way East graduate Alisa Goler wasn’t sure how she was going to deal with the pain from her collegiate career concluding. Playing for the Chicago Bandits helped her cope. Just six days after the Bulldogs lost their best-of-three series to Baylor in the Super Regional, Goler was making her professional debut June 4. “I’m happy it worked out like this,” said Goler, who was selected in the third round of the 2011 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft with the 12th overall selection. “It’s just been a great experience and made my transition from not making the World Series a lot easier.” The NPF, formerly known as …

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