Publications & Sites 
Softball: Disappointing week for Elmwood Park
Gabby Uvelli scattered 10 hits in Elmwood Park's 3-1 win over Riverside-Brookfield in a Metro Suburban Conference contest. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media
Updated: May 28, 2012 8:22AM
Some tough bounces and rough defensive displays turned what was looking like a promising week into one that Elmwood Park’s softball team will need to learn from.
The peak of the week came in what turned out to be the Tigers’ only win of the week when they got past Metro Suburban Conference rival Riverside-Brookfield in a well-played road victory on April 17.
Elmwood Park recovered from a 12-6 loss at Resurrection on April 16, when junior Gabby Uvelli scattered 10 hits while striking out two Bulldogs as the Tigers (8-11, 2-2) squeaked by Riverside-Brookfield 3-1. Freshman Arianna Kelly went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, while sophomore Becky Gruber had a hit and a drove in a run.
“We played some really solid defense, and Gabby pitched well, wiggling out of a couple of jams,” said Elmwood Park head coach Brad Reynard. “It was a huge win at the time, and what looked like a nice start.”
It seemed like they returned home with some momentum, but that went by the wayside in a 5-0 loss to conference opponent Timothy Christian on April 18. All five runs allowed were unearned as Uvelli was done in by some defensive difficulties. There were some lightning delays that didn’t help much. Offensively, the Tigers mustered only six hits, half of which came off the bat of junior Isaly Roman.
The defensive woes continued the following day as the Tigers lost their home contest to Riverside-Brookfield 14-6 with eight of the runs allowed being unearned. Offensively, Gruber went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs, scoring three runs and driving in two more. Senior Catherine Conte also went 3-for-4, driving in four runs and belting a two-run homer.
“Uvelli didn’t have her best stuff, but if we make plays then we’re in the game,” Reynard said.
Things didn’t change much over the weekend as the Tigers dropped both ends of their double-header at Beecher on Saturday. They lost the opener 10-0 and fell 8-4 in the finale. They were without middle infielders in junior Olga Lipiszko and Roman, and only two of the runs allowed in the opener were earned. Beecher plated six runs in the sixth to finish the game while the Tigers couldn’t muster a hit.
Sophomore Nicole DiGiovanni had a pair of hits and runs batted in, but it wouldn’t be enough as she took the loss in the nightcap. The defense had a better game with only one of the runs being unearned. Senior Katelyn Jakobsen came back from injury to be part of the team and played some outfield, giving a ray of sunshine in what was otherwise a cloudy weekend.
“It was good to see her out there, and she will solidify the outfield for us,” Reynard said of Jakobsen’s return. “After the R-B win, I was disappointed to see how we laid down against Timothy Christian and how we played the whole second half of the week. With only two games this week, I really look forward to some practice days. We’ve been slammed with games the past couple of weeks, so we’ve had very little time to fix the mistakes we’ve been making. We’re so young that anybody can beat us on a given day, so these practice dates will be well used.”
