Softball: Bolingbrook ousts Batavia
A new day did nothing to get Batavia's bats going against Bolingbrook in the Class 4A Batavia regional semifinals Thursday.
The Bulldogs trailed 4-1 when the game was suspended Wednesday.
Resuming with two runners on, one out and a 3-2 count on Olivia Bumbar, Bolingbrook got the final two outs of the inning and then wasn't threatened again.
Neither team scored in the conclusion of the suspended game on Thursday, Bolingbrook's 4-1 win sending it into the regional championship game Saturday against No. 2 seed West Aurora (27-3).
No. 8 Batavia (21-13) only managed 3 hits against Bolingbrook junior Lorrin Pondo, and only 1 of them - a Toni Galas single - came Thursday.
"The pitcher did a nice job moving the ball in and out and keeping the ball in on our hands," Batavia coach Lupe Castellanos said. "We couldn't make an adjustment. Then she started doing a nice job with the changeup later in the game and it was hard for us to hit a ball squarely."
No. 10 seed Bolingbrook (18-12) scored once in the first, twice in the second and once in the third, capitalizing on a couple Batavia mistakes to chase starter Jaelin Lisberg.
Rachael Lovestrand pitched the final four innings Thursday.
Batavia's only run came in the bottom of the first. Galas reached on an error, stole second and third, and scored on Lisberg's ground out.
"Our pitching was fantastic today," Bolingbrook coach Jean Ryan-Moak said. "Lorrin is coming back from a back injury. I was very impressed with her character and her ability to be back on the mound and be as strong as she was."
Despite the loss, Batavia can look back on a spring that saw it win 20 games for the first time in 5 years. And with a core of key players back, next year Batavia will aim for its first regional championship since 1988 and a first conference title.
"Those will be our goals," Castellanos said. "Our pitching will be back. We have a chance. Obviously we have (St. Charles) East and North but if we come out and play the way we are capable of we can compete with any team."