Softball: Montini defeats Mundelein Carmel in state semifinal

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - Brianna Clifton did it all for Montini on Friday morning in the first Class 3A softball semifinal at EastSide Centre.

The Montini sophomore not only pitched a complete game in the circle but also was the focal point of the Broncos' state-record-setting offense in a 12-2 victory against Mundelein Carmel.

Clifton drove home 5 runs as Montini established a new benchmark in the Class 3A tournament with its 17 hits against two Carmel pitchers.

The Montini hit total was one better than Manteno had two years ago.

The Broncos captured their 25th consecutive victory. It was the first Final Four appearance for Montini in program history.

"I just looked for a nice inside pitch to hit," Clifton said of her 3-run seventh-inning home run that concluded the scoring. "I'm just doing it for my seniors. I knew I had a good defense behind me."

Clifton was one of six Montini players to have multiple-hit games.

Francesca Sikora was 4-for-4 on the day for Montini, and Carmel failed to retire Clifton in her final three at-bats after beginning the game with a strikeout.

But it was the Broncos' Nikki Cuchran who established the early tone for Montini.

The sophomore left-hander hit an opposite-field home run one batter after Bell Alexander walked to lead off the game.

"It was a really good start off to the game," Cuchran said. "I was looking for something in the (strike) zone."

Carmel (26-12) had its opportunities to draw closer, but Clifton escaped back-to-back jams unscathed in both the second and third innings.

"She's been doing that all year," Montini coach Mike Bukovsky said of his ace, who improved to 21-1 on the season. "We have been able to ride her. She loves to pitch and works really hard at it."

Montini (36-3) threatened to invoke the slaughter rule after a 7-run uprising in the top of the fourth.

Clifton began the inning with a one-out single and later drove home Emily Lezcano and Tia Sondej with her hit of the inning.

The Broncos had 8 hits alone in the inning as the team chased Carmel starter Claire Petrus in the process.

"Everything in that one inning snowballed," Carmel coach Shane Schueneman said. "They jumped on us right away."

Cuchran augmented Clinton with 3 RBI; Amy Bukovsky, Alyssa Sclafani and Naomi Alonzo were credited with other runs knocked in for Montini.

"Coming (into the season), we knew that we had a really good senior group," Mike Bukovsky said. "They have been here for the resurgence of our program."

Lauren Cafferelli put Carmel on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning; the junior had 2 of the Corsairs' 5 hits.

"I told the kids that it's a privilege to be here," Schueneman said.

Montini will play downstate Washington in the championship game at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Carmel meets Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at 9 a.m. Saturday in the third-place game.