Softball: Downers Grove South shuts out WW South
There was more than enough material to fill a highlight video with the Downers Grove South softball team's 7-0 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South in the Mustangs' own Class 4A regional final Saturday.
Most important on the list is the victory moved Downers South (32-3), the top seed in the Class 4A Plainfield East sectional, to a 4:30 p.m. Tuesday sectional semifinal versus cross-town rival Downers Grove North.
Fourth-seeded Downers North advanced by beating Geneva 4-0 in the Vikings' regional final, also on Saturday. Downers North and Downers South met May 18 at McCollum Park with the Mustangs winning 2-1 in eight innings.
"We are so pumped and looking so forward to it," said junior Payton Buresch, who pitched the last two innings in relief of winner Caroline Hedgcock.
The win was Mustangs coach Ron Havelka's 700th career victory, and he was presented with a banner after his final home game. He is retiring after this season.
"I've been real lucky. The girls have been dedicated and worked hard in the off-season. They have always seemed to come together," he said.
Saturday's win was Downers South's 17th regional title in softball.
Hedgcock allowed just one hit in five innings of work and struck out six.
"I have not seen us as pumped up as we were today," she said.
Hedgcock and Buresch were supported by 10 Downers South hits, beginning with three hits that led to three runs in the first. Kristin Lea and Hedgcock reached base on consecutive singles to left. Amanda Ray ran for Hedgcock.
Megan LoBianco went to a full count before doubling to left, her first of two on the afternoon. That scored Lea and moved Ray to third. Ray scored on Nicole Bowman's sacrifice fly and LoBianco scored on a fielding error.
"I knew I needed to get the run in and I knew I needed to hit the right side," LoBianco said of the first double. "Amanda was able to take that extra base."
The Mustangs made it 6-0 in the fourth as another WW South error and an RBI single by Lindsey Hermann led to the inning's three runs. LoBianco scored her team's final run in the sixth. She got her second double and came home on Buresch's single.
Buresch returned Saturday after missing time due to a strained diaphragm muscle. She allowed no hits and struck out four.
"I felt loose. I felt I was able to throw hard," she said.
The game closed the book on a solid season for ninth-seeded WW South (14-12). Megan Bougadis singled to right in the fifth for her team's only hit.
"We were sloppy early on and I knew you couldn't do that against a team like that. I didn't think we pitched bad," said Tigers coach Jeff Pawlak. "It was a great season. That's why I got a little emotional with the girls (in the postgame meeting). I'm proud of how we competed. It was a fun team to be around."