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 2007 Season           2008 Roster            Schedule

No.

Player

High School

Pos.

College

1

Alexandra Seplak

Waubonsie Valley '09

OF/IN

4

Emma Jarrell

Carl Sandburg '10

3B / SS / OF

7

Kaitlyn Bolanowski

Lowell '08

P / RF / 2B

U. of Indianapolis

8

Cassie Walisiak

Lockport '08

OF

Cornell

10

Caity Niemczyk

Lincoln-Way East '09

1B / P

12

Amanda Bilina

Andrew '08

1B / 3B

Eastern Illinois

13

Katie Healy

Marian Catholic '08

OF/2B

Lewis Univ.

15

Tracey Walsh

Marian Catholic '08

1B / OF

Benedictine (bkb)

18

Brianna Nordstrom

ECS '08

C / 3B /1B

SIU-Carbondale

20

Julia Katsaros

Hinsdale South '09

OF

21

Kara Walsh

Marian Catholic '08

C / 3B

Benedictine Univ.

22

Megan Bolanowski

Lowell '10

SS / 3B

23

Natalie Wunderlich

Naperville Central '09

P

25

Stephanie Becker

West Aurora '09

P/1B

Mississippi St.

26

Katherine Allert

Lowell '09

C / OF

Indiana Univ.

Manager: Joe Tholl
Coaches: Kevin Kelly, Christy Sykora, Jenna Gesiakowski

Sparks bounced from ASA Nationals with 2-2 mark

   MOLINE- With their second straight efffort going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, the Sparks bowed out of the 120-team ASA Class A National Tournament with a 4-0 loss, saddling the Sparks with a disappointing 97th Place finish. It marked the first time in the last four tries the Sparks (47-17-4) did not excel in an national tournament in Illinois, folllowing up finishes of 17th, seventh and third.
   Newtown (Pa.) Rock 4, Sparks 0- Despite outhitting the Rock, 9-4, the Sparks stranded 10 runners on base, leaving runners on base in the final six innings. Tracey Walsh finished 2-for-2, while Emma Jarrell went 2-for-3 and Kiley Lythberg rapped a single in her lone at-bat.
    For the four-game national tournament stay, the Sparks were just 3-for-34 with runners in scoring position, including zero for their last 14.
   Cole Minnows (Ark.) 3, Sparks 2- After rallying for a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, the Sparks yielded the tying run on a wild pitch and the deciding run on a sacrifice fly to drop the initial game in double-elimination. Tracey Walsh and Megan Bolanowski had ripped one-out singles in the top of the seventh, with Bolanowski and pinch-runner Julia Katsaros eventually scoring when Allie Seplak reached on a two-out error. The Sparks had set the stage for a third straight comeback win, but finished with just four hits and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
   Sparks 5, Olathe (Kans.) Rockets 4- For the second straight day, the Sparks rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit as Emma Jarrell and Cassie Walisiak each had a pair of hits and scored two runs. Tracey Walsh knocked in a pair of runs, Allie Seplak and Amanda Bilina each added RBI and Katie Healy swiped a pair of bases. All four Sparks hurlers pitched, as Natalie Wunderlich (21-3) gained the win in relief and Stephanie Becker tossed a perfect seventh for her fifth save.
   Sparks 3, Roseville (Calif.) Heat 2- Katie Healy drove in one run, scored another and saw her sacrifice turn into the game-winning play Monday, as the Sparks rebounded from a 2-0 deficit. Natalie Wunderlich walked none and fanned three for her 20th victory (20-3). Healy knocked home Julia Katsaros with the first Sparks run in the fifth and eventually scored on Emma Jarrell's RBI-ground out. Allie Seplak opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and raced all the way around when Healy's sacrifice was thrown away.

2008 Summer Schedule

Date(s)

Opponent/Tournament

Time/Result

May 31-June 1

                  Elgin Bluesfest Invitational (3-1-1)

2nd Place

Sat, May 31

Sparks 5, Naperville Diamonds 2

1-0

Sat, May 31

Sparks 2, Lemont Rockers 0

2-0

Sun, June 1

Sparks 0, Downers Grove Outlaws 0 (7 inn.)

2-0-1

Sun, June 1

Sparks 2, Downers Grove Outlaws 1 (10 inn.)

3-0-1

Sun, June 1

Lemont Rockers 4, Sparks 2 (title)

3-1-1

June 6-8

                    Oak Lawn Invitational (3-0)

Rained out

Fri, June 6

Sparks 5, Northern Illinois Thunder 0

4-1-1

Fri, June 6

Sparks 13, Synergy 0

5-1-1

Sat, June 7

Sparks 6, Aurora Raiders 1

6-1-1

June 13-15

       Owensboro, Kent. ASA Qualifier (6-1)

1st Place

Sat, June 14

Sparks 6, Louisville Sluggers 5

7-1-1

Sat, June 14

Sparks 1, Indiana Magic 0

8-1-1

Sat, June 14

Sparks 4, Beverly Bandits 2

9-1-1

Sat, June 14

Sparks 5, Indiana Magic 3

10-1-1

Sat, June 14

Sparks 7, Louisville Sluggers 0

11-1-1

Sat, June 14

Beverly Bandits 9, Sparks 4

11-2-1

Sat, June 14

Sparks 2, Beverly Bandits 1 (title)

12-2-1

Wed, June 18

Sparks 1-5, Barrington Hurricanes 1-0 (1st game, 8 inn.)

13-2-2

June 20-22

           Indianapolis ASA Qualifier (7-2)

4th Place

Fri, June 20

Sparks 5, Louisville Sluggers 2

14-2-2

Fri, June 20

Sparks 4, Lakeview Lady Aces 2

15-2-2

Sat, June 21

Louisville Sluggers 5, Sparks 4

15-3-2

Sat, June 21

Sparks 4, Indy Express 0

16-3-2

Sat, June 21

Sparks 4, Indiana Xplosion 0

17-3-2

Sun, June 22

Sparks 7, Indy Diamond Chix 3

18-3-2

Sun, June 22

Sparks 1, Indiana Blaze 0 (8 inn.)

19-3-2

Sun, June 22

Sparks 3, Kentucky Outlaws 0

20-3-2

Sun, June 22

Hoosier Pride 3, Sparks 0

20-4-2

June 27-29

    Elgin Windy City Showdown    (3-0, rained out)

Fri, June 27

Sparks 6, Homer Hawks-Makowski 0

24-5-2

Sat, June 28

Sparks 8, Downers Grove Rebels 0

25-5-2

Sat, June 28

Sparks 20, Park Forest Synergy 0

26-5-2

June 30-July 6

             Boulder Independence Day Tourney (2-6)

33rd Place

Wed, July 2

Sparks 4, Arizona Desert Thunder 3

29-6-4

Wed, July 2

SoCal Choppers 9, Sparks 2

29-7-4

Thu, July 3

St. Louis Chaos 8, Sparks 3

29-8-4

Thu, July 3

Calif. Victory USA 5, Sparks 1

29-9-4

Fri, July 4

Georgia Elite 3, Sparks 1

29-10-4

Fri, July 4

Texas Eclipse Gold 5, Sparks 1

29-11-4

July 11-13

Chicago ASA Metro, Bourbonnais (4-1 record)

5th Place

July 17-20

Orland Park Tournament at Elgin (7-1 record)

Thu, July 17

Sparks 9, Indiana Twisters 2

37-13-4

Thu, July 17

Sparks 4, Bloomington-Normal Angels 1

38-13-4

Fri, July 18

Sparks 1, Barrington Hurricanes 0

39-13-4

Fri, July 18

Sparks 7, Michigan Bombers 4

40-13-4

Sun, July 20

Sparks 2, Stone City Sharks 0

41-13-4

Sun, July 20

Sparks 9, Bartlett Silver Hawks 0

42-13-4

Sun, July 20

Sparks 3, Michiana Cruisers 0

43-13-4

Sun, July 20

Indiana Dreams 2, Sparks 0

43-14-4

July 27-Aug. 3

ASA Class A Nationals, Moline (2-2 record)

97th Place

2007 season: 44-21-2 overall record.
                           65th Place- ASA Class A Nationals.
                           1st Place- Cincinnati ASA National Qualifier
                           1st Place- Elgin Invitational.
                           2nd Place- Minneapolis ASA National Qualifier.
Class of 2007 to college:
   Brittany Arrington, University of St. Francis.
   Kelly Cummings, University of Buffalo.
   Allison Gage, Boston College.
   Nicole Guska, University of Michigan.
   Kiley Lythberg, Central College in Iowa.
   Lindsey Major, University of Iowa.
   Mary Ostman, Penn State University.
   Christina Roesel, University of Louisville.
   Notes (2007):
   The Sparks were one of six (all) organizational teams to qualify for ASA National Tournaments. . . eight of nine Class of 2007 athletes (all who planned to play college softball) advanced to continue their softball careers in college. . . one Class of 2008 athlete has made a verbal commitment to accept college scholarships- Amanda Bilina (Eastern Illinois). . . with a fifth-place finish in the ASA Chicago Metro tournament, the Sparks extended their streak of top five finishes to nine in tournaments in which they've competed (dating to 1991).