Softball: West Aurora's bats explode in 11-1 win over Yorkville

One thing about the IHSA postseason in any sport that has always rung true is to expect the unexpected.

Just ask West Aurora's softball team.

First, the Blackhawks didn't expect to be playing Yorkville in Tuesday's semifinals of the Class 4A Bolingbrook sectional - they were jacked up for a showdown with top-seeded Geneva before No. 9 seed Yorkville upset the Vikings 5-4 in Saturday's Yorkville regional final.

Next, they certainly didn't expect to fall behind the upstart Foxes 1-0 going into the bottom of the third inning.

Finally, no one in the sizable crowd in the southwest suburbs could have expected what West Aurora did in that third inning.

The Blackhawks sent 13 batters to the plate, scored 10 runs, and went on to beat Yorkville 11-1 in five innings.

"We didn't see it coming," said West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett of the big inning. "We just hit the ball really hard and we've been doing that the past couple of weeks. We used the whole field and I'm just really proud of the effort 1 through 9."

The fourth-seeded Blackhawks (30-7), who tied the school record for wins in a season, will face the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 2 Plainfield North and No. 6 Downers Grove North for the sectional title at 11 a.m. Saturday. West Aurora, which last reached a sectional final in 2006, will be seeking its first sectional title. The Blackhawks were a game away from state in 2001 when they lost to Lockport in a sectional final in the pre-supersectional days of IHSA softball.

And if they keep hitting like they did on Tuesday, this just could be the year they break down that barrier.

Upstart Yorkville (17-20) scored in the second inning when Haylee Reyes singled and eventually came home on a wild pitch.

In the top of the third, West Aurora sophomore Payton Lundberg was struggling in the circle and after she walked the leadoff batter, Hayslett summoned senior Hannah Beatus, who proceeded to strike out the side and energize the Blackhawks.

"Payton just wasn't feeling it today and that was the perfect time to bring Hannah in," Hayslett said.

West used that energy at the plate in the bottom of the inning. With one out, freshman Gabriella Nilles singled to right field and before Yorkville could record another out, eight more Blackhawks had batted and seven had scored. Sophia Delgado had an RBI double, Grace Hunger a 2-run double, Lundberg an RBI fielder's choice, Gabriela Drager a bases-loaded walk and two Yorkville errors contributed to another run and before you could blink West was ahead 7-1.

Then came the big knock - a 3-run blast over the center field fence from Beatus, who had just missed hitting a home run in the first inning.

"The dugout was just electric," Beatus said. "The first couple innings we were freaking out a little bit but energy is contagious and you could feel everybody's vibe during that inning. You just have to keep the energy up and keep hitting the ball hard."

Added Hayslett: "I knew when Hannah just missed that she was going to get one today."

It also helps to throw the ball where the opponent can't hit it, which Beatus did from the moment she stepped into the circle. In her three innings she didn't allow a hit and struck out 6 while walking 2.

"You just have to keep yourself mentally and physically prepared to go in," Beatus said of being called from center field to pitch. "It's the postseason, anything can happen and anybody can beat anybody."

West Aurora extended the lead to 11-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Sarah Hansen's 2-out infield single plated Kallie Rundle, who led off the inning with a single.

Beatus then set the Foxes down in order in the top of the fifth to send the Blackhawks to Saturday's title game.