Coronado’s 2-homer day, Wagner’s pitching carry Warren
An injured index finger, jammed in practice on Wednesday, didn’t seem to bother Warren’s Selaina Coronado all that much.
Coronado smacked a pair of home runs and finished with 7 RBI on Thursday afternoon, and Jana Wagner pitched 5 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a hit and a couple of runs as second-seeded Warren outslugged No. 3 seed Grayslake North 15-2 in 6 innings in Class 4A regional semifinal play in Gurnee.
The Blue Devils (23-6) next host top-seeded Zion-Benton in the regional final at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Coronado hit a 3-run shot in a 4-run Warren fifth inning, and followed up with a game-ending grand slam that capped a 7-run sixth.
Maybe there was some good luck in all that tape on her index finger.
“I felt like the jammed finger helped me push with my back hand instead of over-swinging,” said Coronado, who’d hit only one other home run this season. “I just felt more relaxed. I was just swinging, and the ball just went (over the fence).
“Every game we’ve got tons of power hitting. We just came out pumped and ready.”
Warren broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third inning, scoring 4 times on just 1 hit and a couple of errors committed by Grayslake North (19-9).
Megan Sowa scored first run for the Blue Devils on a throwing error. Michelle Vasen scored the second run on a fielder’s choice. Megan Scott added a sacrifice fly RBI that allowed Amy Ricci to score the third run, and Sam Bellentini knocked in the final run with an RBI groundout.
Wagner, who had 9 strikeouts and 2 walks, was on track for a no-hitter through the first five innings. She gave up a swinging bunt single to Knights’ Maddie Terlap starting the top of the sixth.
Grayslake North scored 2 runs — Nikki Livengood was walked in, and Marli Kram had a run-scoring single.
“I felt like I was coming out of a slump from earlier in the season,” Wagner said. “I really didn’t think about the no-hitter. I just trusted my defense.”
Warren had to wait an extra day to play after rain on Wednesday. The extra time off only built up the intensity factor for the Blue Devils.
“The girls definitely came out with a lot of energy,” Warren coach Tina Meyer said. “It definitely helped us, and it might have been the most we’ve had all season. We’ve been hitting the ball like that all year. We hit as a team. If a couple are down, another person picks them up. They work together that way.”
Grayslake North ended its season after winning the Fox Valley’s Fox Division for a second straight year, going 11-1 in the league. The Knights have been led three seniors Kelsey Borders, Jordyn Bowen and Kram the last couple of years.
“It’s unfortunate to end that way,” Grayslake coach Molly Jones said. “Moving up to 4A was an eye-opener for us.
“We had confidence going into the game. Warren hit the ball and we didn’t. We had great senior leadership and I would’ve hoped to have gone further. Any team can win on any given day. It’s just wasn’t our day.”