Softball: Britton's bat, arm assists Warren in comeback win

When her softball team fell behind Palatine 5-1 on Wednesday, Warren sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Britton said the Blue Devils simply wanted to prove to themselves they could come back.

The girls from Gurnee proved it to everyone at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka, and Britton's bat helped solidify it.

Her 3-run homer in the 6-run bottom of the fourth inning erased the deficit and put her team on top 8-5.

The No. 2-seeded Blues Devils (27-7) went on to defeat No. 3 Palatine 8-6 in the Class 4A New Trier sectional semifinal and earn a spot in Saturday's championship game against top seed Libertyville (29-5) at 11 a.m.

Palatine (24-8) earned the respect of the Blue Devils.

"Palatine is a great, quality team," said Blue Devils third-year coach Jenna Charbonneau. "We knew it was going to be a tough game, and it was."

It was also a tough inning for the Pirates when not only did Britton belt her 15th homer of the season but the Pirates were also called for 4 illegal pitches (advancing base runners) with the penultimate one allowing a runner to come home from third base to get Warren to within 5-4.

"You can't deny those helped us," Charbonneau said. "But it was really a team effort."

Sophomore Ashlyn Kitter followed with an RBI single to center to tie the game. After a bunt single by Emily Hudgens, Warren had two runners on base.

Moments later, with two outs, Britton crushed her 17th career homer to left-center field, giving her 77 RBI on the season.

"I really believe in how this team can come back," said the Central Michigan recruit. "Even when I came up to bat, I just believed in myself and I said I needed to help my team get these runs in."

They would be the final runs for Warren as Palatine freshman lefty reliever Rhiann Dick retired six of the seven batters she faced in her scoreless final two innings.

"Rhiann did a real good job adjusting," said Palatine coach Nicole Pauly, also in her third season. "It was unfortunate because she hadn't been called on that all season and then it had so much influence on that inning.

"We did everything right. It's unfortunate that inning came down to them winning the game. I think Warren is a good hitting team and I wish them luck the rest of the way."

Warren showed its offensive prowess with 10 hits, including a home run by sophomore Erika Jiminez, who drove a solo blast to just about the same spot as Britton's longball.

"We haven't really come from behind that much this season," said Jiminez who now has 5 homers for the spring. "But whether we are up 20 or down 20, we will always be on top of our game and we know we can rely on everyone up and down our order."

Palatine, playing in its first sectional since 2011 and enjoying its first 20-win season under Pauly, was able to rely on everyone in its order, too.

Eight Pirates reached base at least once, led by Grace Huff (2-for-5), Emily Parrot (2-for-4), catcher Anna Selleck (2-for-4) and starting pitcher Sarah Grossman (3⅓ innings), who drove in her team's first 4 runs with a 2-run single in the first inning and 2-run double to right in the third. Her double was followed Selleck's RBI infield single which made it 5-1.

"Up and down the lineup we were hitting," Pauly said. "I am really proud of our team and how they worked all season. They didn't let adversity effect them and they really put Palatine back on the map as a competitive team."

Eleven of the 13 varsity players return.

"(Seniors) Brooke (Bauer) and Reggie (Much) definitely leaving after making the program better than it was when they came in," Pauly added. "As bad a taste at this leaves in our mouths, I think the girls can use it to work extra hard in the off-season and hopefully next season they will show even more."

Warren showed its bats up and down the order, too, as No. 7 hitter Kelly Beck went 2-for-2 and No. 9 batter Kitter had the big RBI single in the 6-run fifth.

"We had to get runners on base one at a time," Charbonneau said. "Obviously, home runs are nice but they don't make as much a difference if you are hitting them solo. You've got to get runners on base."

Hudgens (2-for-4) and Jiminez (2-for-3) both got on base twice while Beck (2-for-2, walk) reached three times.

Britton improved to 21-3 on the mound and recorded 4 strikeouts.

"Caitlyn did great on the mound," Charbonneau said. "We had some hiccups on defense but fortunately our bats came around, and we won. We had some walks early and couple of mistakes in the field that didn't help but we kept our cool and came back with that big inning. We're a younger team but really focused. The girls know how to have fun but at same time stay focused on the game, which is nice."

A leaping grab by shortstop Hudgens robbed Amanda Stanczuk of a hit in the sixth inning and was followed by a nice play by second baseman Claire Swedberg. Racing to her right on Selleck's grounder, Swedberg threw a strike to sophomore first baseman Kayla Nommenson to help Britton in the sixth inning.

"Claire and Emily (Penn State recruits) up the middle have been dynamic," Charbonneau said. "They'll even make plays on bloopers, which are tough to get. Their speed kind of takes over."

Palatine's season is over but the future is bright.

"It was a great season," said Pirates junior left fielder Brittany Padden, who scored 2 runs and helped Palatine finish its season with an error-free game. "We were so close as a team and that's what brought us through many times. It's been really great playing with all these girls.

"I think we played a full game. We had hits all over the board. We were making plays. It's just a bummer it had to end. But you'll see us back next year."