Softball: Montini takes rain-shortened win from Glenbard South

With two great softball programs meeting in a sectional final, you knew one might end the day with a heartbreaking defeat. Mother Nature just managed to make that loss even tougher to swallow for Glenbard South.

Top-seeded Montini (34-3) used a 3-run second inning Saturday to knock off host Glenbard South 3-0 and claim the Class 3A sectional title in a game that was delayed for an hour due to rain and later called after five innings when heavy rains returned. The win gave the Broncos their second sectional title in program history and sends them to Monday's supersectional in Rosemont against Nazareth Academy.

"It's a hard win because I feel bad for them," Broncos leadoff hitter Bell Alexander said. "They're a really tough team and they're really well-coached too. It's a bittersweet win."

The Raiders (25-6) managed just one single off Broncos sophomore Bri Clifton (20-1) through four innings, then loaded the bases in the top of the fifth when play resumed after the lengthy delay. Clifton escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts, and when heavy rains picked up again with Montini batting in the bottom of the fifth, the game was called.

"Once we got to five (innings) it's a complete game. When we committed to getting the field ready, that's what we were doing, we were hoping to sneak it in," said Raiders coach Julie Fonda, who helped school officials work on the field during the rain delay to get the field playable. "I would just have liked a fair shake playing them when it's a good ballgame as opposed to the weather dictating what the heck we're doing.

"I feel bad for the kids. It's not fair for them. But you know life's not always fair and that's what I told them."

Montini's best team is just one win away from qualifying for state and looks to top the 2014 team that reached its first supersectional before falling to St. Ignatius.

The Broncos scored three times off Raiders freshman Daniella Little in the second inning after Naomi Alonzo opened the inning with a double to the gap. Lauren Latoria followed with a single, and one out later No. 9 hitter Francesca Sikora singled home the only run Clifton needed.

The Broncos picked up two big insurance runs when a second run scored on a throwing error and Broncos shortstop Amy Bukovsky's deep double to right field made it 3-0.

"It feels great," said Clifton, who retired the first 10 Raiders she faced and finished with a 5-inning 3-hitter. "I'm young and I just want to do it for these seniors. They've worked so hard all four years that they deserve it."

For Raiders senior Payton Carli, who like teammate Ashley Cohen was a four-year starter, Saturday was a tough way to see her senior season end.

"It's definitely a tough way to go out, but I'm proud of our team," she said. "Just even after coming back after that first rain delay, we came out with fire and we got bases loaded. I'm just proud of the team and the season we had."

Fonda knows Carli, Cohen and fellow seniors Aly Miller and Reilee Flanagan will be hard to replace. The foursome helped win four regional crowns.

"I think that's the part that leaves a lump in my throat is that these seniors don't get closure in this game, in this ending," Fonda said. "After committing four years to this program and bettering it and bettering themselves ... to walk away from softball with that taste in your mouth is a little difficult to swallow. I'm feeling bad for them. I hope they remember all the memories and the good stuff we did this year."

Montini coach Mike Bukovsky hopes his team can create some more memories next week.

"I just can't say enough about Bri and about our seniors," he said. "They just work so hard … we were in this position where we won a sectional two years ago and we really laid an egg in the supersectional game. We've just been really clawing and scratching and really wanting the opportunity to get back to that game.

"This is by far the best team that we've had. We've now won two sectionals in the whole history and this is one of them. At this point it's survive and advance and do whatever we can to get there."