Softball: By any plan, Jacobs comes up a winner
Whether it was Plan B, D or G, it all worked out for Jacobs in Thursday's 7-2 victory over Rockton Hononegah in the Class 4A DeKalb softball regional semifinal.
The latest Golden Eagles' triumph earns a third shot at Fox Valley Conference brethren Huntley in the regional championship which has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. Friday instead of Saturday morning.
Advancing was almost easier than simply getting to DeKalb.
Timing is everything because Savannah Svedman's towering 2-run homer in the top of the second was several rows into a cornfield that was freshly plowed 10 minutes earlier. That lead sprouted to 3-0 in the third thanks to Alexis Addante's first homer, which the senior then followed with a 2-run rocket in the fifth.
Hononegah (20-12) pushed two across the plate in the bottom of that frame, but Jacobs manufactured another pair of runs in the top of the sixth to restore a 5-run cushion.
While Svedman comprises a pitching staff of one, the Golden Eagles (15-12-1) have added to their varsity roster for the postseason. But that meant coach Katie O'Brien and assistant Katie Kirker had too many for their usual two vans. Plan C called for O'Brien to receive a crash course in a minibus during her Thursday lunch period.
Unfortunately that instructor was late so Plan D had a bus available at 3:45 p.m., which wasn't ideal for the 33-mile trek and 5 p.m. start. Plan E then called for an independent bus to arrive at 3 p.m., however, as the minutes ticked well past that pickup, Plan F became a District 300 bus showing up at 3:30 p.m.
As Hononegah began its official IHSA warmup, Jacobs was walking toward the field, so Plan G had to follow Plan B. That was an adjustment made earlier in the season after 10 road losses coincided with having next to no warmup. For road games, Plan B has the players getting in their hitting prior to departure. Plan G on Thursday meant O'Brien and Kirker methodically got every bat and helmet ready for inspection while the Golden Eagles simply dropped their bags and stretched in advance of their warmup time.
"Previously we haven't performed too well when we've been stressed. And typically we have one big inning, so it was amazing to see us score in multiple innings," O'Brien admitted, although not willing to call it Plan H. "The other key was that our defense executed a lot of specific things we've been working on."
After both sides went three-up, three-down and Svedman put Jacobs ahead, Hannah Slocum made an all-out dive on a grounder and then had the presence of mind to dive to second for a force out that averted a potentially dangerous situation. In the third, center fielder Kerri Healy gunned down Hononegah's Carrie Anderson trying to score from second. In the fourth, the Indians' Maiah Frazier smacked a double but then gambled on reaching third only to have Slocum relay Healey's throw in time to Emma Pena at third.
"It really feels so great to execute the things you practice every day," Slocum said. "We had a good practice right before leaving so we felt like we were gonna win. As for Huntley, the third time can be the charm. We just need solid defense again and to hit the ball well."
Freshman phenom Svedman showed no signs of wearing down despite pitching every inning of Jacobs' 28 games.
"Honestly the further I go the more I feel like I'm in a groove. Besides it's never just me pitching, this team always has my back," Svedman insisted. As for her cannon shot: "As soon as I felt the contact I knew it was going out. You get so hyped from that feeling."
Fox Valley champ and top seed Huntley (27-6) dealt with a 24-hour rain delay and the regional host Barbs to take aim for a third consecutive regional plaque and the sixth under coach Mark Petryniec, who has skippered the Red Raiders to that level of success initially in 2A, then 3A, and now 4A. Huntley, which has scored nine or more runs in 18 victories, topped Jacobs 5-4 and 10-0 earlier.
"We want this shot at them," O'Brien said. "We felt as if we gave them the first one on a walk off homer, and the second was simply our fault, we didn't show any fight."
Hononegah suffered a first-round exit just like in 2016, which ended a string of five straight years when the Indians were a regional top seed. However, their last regional title was in 2012 when they also won a sectional.
"(Jacobs) took care of business. Offensively we had a couple chances but didn't capitalize whereas they got on and then came up with a big hit," Hononegah coach Jessica Starr said. "Defensively we played pretty well, especially at second with Meagan (Matuska)."