Softball: Little, Glenbard South defense shut down Wheaton Academy
This year's Glenbard South softball team doesn't measure up to the powerhouse teams it has routinely fielded for more than a decade.
But that's little consolation to Wheaton Academy.
Sophomore Danielle Little pitched a 1-hitter and the fifth-seeded Raiders were dominant in the field and at the plate Saturday in knocking off the fourth-seeded Warriors 6-1 to win the Class 3A Glenbard South regional.
It is the 13th consecutive regional championship for the Raiders (19-14), who advance to play top-seeded St. Francis in Tuesday's St. Francis sectional semifinals.
"When they play like this, they are a really, really tough team to beat," Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said. "The goal as a coach is to get them playing the best ball at the end of the season, and we are feeling it.
"Their execution was awesome today and the defense was phenomenal, so I'm really proud of them."
Little (18-7) took a no-hitter into the seventh before Courtney Kinnane broke it up with a leadoff double. Kinnane scored on a sacrifice fly by Julia Palmer, but that was the only offense the Warriors (15-11) could get.
"I thought I did pretty good today," said Little, who walked two and struck out four. "I was hitting my corners and everyone was behind me, hitting the ball and making plays."
Did they ever. The Raiders made two errors but a string of great defensive plays made up for it. Right fielder Jocelyn Leerschen made a spectacular diving catch to keep the no-hitter intact in the fifth, and third baseman Kate Mora did the same with a sweet play to end the sixth.
"That was an amazing catch," Little said of Leerschen's effort. "This team has its ups and downs, but when we bring it together we're a really good team and we're hard to beat. Our energy and love for each other is great."
The Raiders had both ups and downs in the first inning, when all six hitters reached base safely. But Glenbard South settled for just 1 run as all three outs were recorded on the bases.
But Mora, who went 3-for-3 with a walk, beat out an infield hit to trigger a 4-run rally in the third.
Bailee Flanagan reached on a bunt and Leerschen sacrificed the runners over. Little followed with an RBI single, Allie Sims belted a run-scoring double and Sarah Marsden drove home two more with a single.
"We focus on the little things like getting the bunt down," Mora said. "That really helps us and (so does) making the easy plays in the field and making the hard ones, too.
"I think we all came together today. We mostly do it for the seniors because it could be their last game."
It was the last game for four Wheaton Academy seniors, including Olivet Nazarene-bound pitcher Andi Pivaronas, who gave up 5 runs and 9 hits in 3 innings.
"We told the girls all week the team that makes the fewest mistakes in this game is going to win because they're evenly matched teams," said Wheaton Academy coach Scott Mennie, whose team lost in the regional finals for the fourth time since 2011. "They made no mistakes and we made enough that hurt us.
"I thought this was the year for us and it just wasn't to be. But the girls played hard."