Nicole Pontrelli was not certain if it was the shortest hit of her career.
When the Lemont senior came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the 12th, she dropped down a bunt feet from home plate. And she ran like the wind, like courtesy runner Addison McGrath did from third base.
Going back-to-back as state champion, Lemont's Sage Mardjetko put an exclamation mark on a marvelous career. The South Carolina recruit threw a no-hitter in the state championship game for the second consecutive year, striking out a Class 3A title-game record 24 batters. Mardjetko, who did not allow an earned run all year, needed to be awesome to match zeroes with Antioch junior Jacey Schuler. The Michigan State recruit struck out 10 and allowed just six hits with two walks.
Schuler admitted it may have shook Antioch . The next batter popped up a bunt, but Maya Hollendoner bunted McGrath over to third.Pontrelli was expecting to bunt.
Mardjetko struck out Samantha Hillner with two out in the top of the 12th and Schuler on second after an error, to set the stage for Pontrelli's bunting heroics.
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