THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008

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Penguins Take Title With Walk-Off Win

By DWIGHT ESAU

Journal Sports

This is the way playoffs should end - with a big come-from-behind rally and a walk off base hit.

With the big blow by someone playing in her first year of organized softball.

Kayla Kramer socked the biggest blow of the Des Plaines Girls Softball Senior Division's season last weekend with an eighth-inning game-winning single that gave her Penguins team a dramatic 15-14 win over CR Flowers at Iroquois Field.

It was especially tough for Flowers, which played a whale of a game and led all the way except for the final at-bat.

In the top of the eighth, Flowers put 2 on the board for a 14-12 lead, behind Hayley, Emily, and Katrina. In their final at bat, the Penguins roared back. Jade Cerrone walked with the bases loaded to plate one run, and Shannon Sullivan stole home to tie the game minutes later. With the count at 3-0, Kramer lined a hard shot and Nikki Lipka rolled home with the winning run.

Abbi Donovan, who planned to play in this game for the Penguins but left on a vacation trip after the game was postponed last Thursday due to rain, could be heard cheering all the way from Arizona, according to a parent.

Zoe Zunnurian made some nice defensive plays for the Penguins, and the two teams traded big innings and rallies all through the game.

Paige Christoffel of the Penguins made a great catch in centerfield and threw to Cerrone for a double play. In another inning, Sullivan smacked a home run, and Kara Barnes scored the tying run for the Penguins in the seventh inning to send the game into overtime.

The Intermediate Division of Des Plaines Girl Softball did not hold a post-season tournament, deciding instead to let Casa Royale's Mayor's Cup tournament championship be their league champion.