The Glenbard East softball team won an IHSA Class 4A regional title for the first time in 23 years last week. The Rams defeated Lake Park 6-5 on Friday, May 22, to win the championship of the Elk Grove Regional.
Glenbard East improved its overall season record to 21-4 with its win over Lake Park. Winning a regional championship propelled the Rams to this week’s Bartlett Sectional. Earlier this week, Glenbard East faced St. Charles East in a sectional semifinal. The winner of that contest will meet St. Charles North or Fremd in a sectional final this Saturday, May 30.
The Rams began their 2026 post-season journey with an 11-0 six-inning win over Elk Grove in a regional semifinal on May 20.
“I am super proud of my girls today,” said Glenbard East coach Dawn Chantos after the Rams’ victory over the Lancers of Lake Park. “We did our homework. We studied their hitters, their stats, and the girls executed everything today.”
Glenbard East, the Bartlett Sectional’s No. 6 seed scored one run in each of the first three innings against Lake Park (the sectional’s No. 3 seed) to take a 3-0 lead. The Rams scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to raise their lead to 6-0. Lake Park scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut Glenbard East’s lead to 6-3. The Lancers scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Rams secured their victory on a fly out to junior center fielder Althea Fitzgerald, who made a fine running catch earlier in the inning.
Junior catcher Ally Amrhein went 2-for-4 and scored two runs for the Rams in the regional final against Lake Park. Sophomore Emma Jaras went 1-for-2 and drove in two runs.
Glenbard East junior pitcher Claire Bolda allowed four earned runs, five hits and six walks in the regional final. She recorded five strikeouts and earned the victory to raise her season record to 11-3.
Junior Lilly Carver went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs to lead the Rams to their 11-0 win over Elk Grove in a regional semifinal. Carver hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Glenbard East a 4-0 lead. Carver bashed another two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game. While Glenbard East played the contest on Elk Grove’s home field, the Rams were the home team by virtue of their better seed. Elk Grove was the Bartlett Sectional’s No. 11 seed.
Amrhein went 3-for-4 and scored four runs in Glenbard East’s May 20 win over the Grenadiers. Bolda allowed one hit and one walk in six innings in the circle. She struck out six batters in her shutout performance.
One year ago, the Rams’ 2025 team posted a 20-6 record and opened the post-season with a 4-2 eight-inning loss to Conant in a regional semifinal in Lombard.
“We met our goal of 20 wins last year,” noted Chantos after Friday’s win over Lake Park. “This year our goal was a regional championship, so we are happy right now.”
