Softball: Barrington falls short against Oak Park-River Forest

EAST PEORIA - Too little, too late as the saying goes.

But at least the Barrington softball team (36-4) will have another say at 3 p.m. Saturday against Marist (25-8) for third place in the Class 4A state tournament at the Eastside Centre.

Friday's 5-1 loss to Oak Park in the semifinals was not all the surprising considering the Huskies (36-1) came into the game as the defending 4A state champs, with wins in 61 straight games over teams from Illinois.

But the Fillies' offense did show life in the bottom of the seventh inning with some good swings and its only run off Illinois Gatorade player of the year Chardonny Harris (18-0 and ERA under 0.27), who had given up only 4 earned runs going into the game.

"I was proud of our team for battling all the way through but you've got to take your hat off to Chardonnay," said Fillies center fielder Carly Kordich. "She is an incredible pitcher and their bats were also hot in the game. Luckily we were able to buckle down defensively and get our bats going at the end.

"But it wasn't enough. We know we have the power to hit. We've just got to make adjustment to the pitchers early in the game."

After Fillies junior Catherine McMahon (25-3) retired the side in order in the top of the first, Harris got the only run she needed in the second.

Speedy sophomore Fiona Girardot led off with a double down the right field line and scored on Mariah Scott's bloop single into shallow right field. The Huskies had runners on second and third with one out, but McMahon (7 strikeouts) escaped further damage by striking out the next two batters.

Senior Sydney Babbington led off the top of the third inning with her eighth homer of the season for a 2-0 lead.

"It felt good," said Babbington, who has found a home in the outfield after playing catcher and shortstop in the past. "I was just contributing what I could to my team. It was my second at-bat (after a walk). I was looking for an inside pitch so when it came to me I just wanted to get a piece it. It was exciting to get the game going with some more runs because it was a little close with the 1-0 lead."

"She's my super kid," said Oak Park coach Mel Kolbusz. "She is the sweetest girl in the world, nicest kid and a great athlete. I told my coaches to make her an outfielder and she has been great out there."

McMahon was great after the home run, retiring 10 in a row including 3 strikeouts.

The Huskies didn't score again until the until the sixth. They pushed across their final 3 runs, taking advantage of 2 errors and an RBI double by No. 7 hitter Olivia Glass.

"We said to the kids in the pregame when we can get ahead with Chardonnay pitching, it puts a lot of pressure on the other team," Kolbusz said. "That's because they already go into the game figuring, 'Oh my God we're going to have a tough time scoring against her.' Then when they're behind, you put more pressure on them."

The Fillies had a hard time putting pressure on Harris through the first six innings, getting just 1 hit, a single to center by Tori Meyer in the third inning.

She was the only baserunner for Barrington until catcher Abbey Jacobsen was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh.

Rutgers-bound sophomore Leyden Atlas, batting cleanup, followed with a double to the left-center gap for runners at second and third.

Sophomore Kendall Peterson then drove home the Mid-Suburban League champs' only run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center.

"It's always disappointing to me when I give up a run," said Harris, an Auburn recruit. "But I had to look at the bigger picture and the fact that we were still leading by more runs and there wasn't much to worry about.

"It's amazing to be back in the championship game. I had confidence in us from last year (when she was injured). Since we got third here two years ago when I was pitching, this has been my goal."

Kendall Peterson's RBI brought home pinch runner Katherine Stagnito.

"I knew I had to make an adjustment because my first two at-bats I was underneath the ball," Kendall said. "I knew I had to drive it to right side so I just tried to get it to the outfield."

"I was proud of (Kendall) today," Perry Peterson said. "She made every play at third base, including a double play in the first inning and she had a bullet hit at her in the fifth inning and made the play."

Kendall's RBI was one of flyballs caught by the Oak Park outfield. Harris also had 10 strikeouts while throwing a 2-hitter without a walk.

"Honestly, it's a credit to their pitcher," Kendall Peterson said. "She's very impressive."

"She did a good job mixing up her pitches and we couldn't catch at times," said senior Rachel Krzysko. "But we did well. We knew we were the underdog and had something to prove.

"Sadly, we didn't prove it - but I think it's an improvement from what we did two years ago when we lost 11-0 in our first game (to Lincoln-Way East).

Krzysko and Kordich were starters on that 2015 team that was down here and took fourth place.

"We have a lot of experience here, a lot of kids who played here two years ago or have played in tournaments here," Perry Peterson said. "So we have a lot of people who know what this environment. I felt like we competed better there than we did two years ago here, and the score indicates.

"It's not like we're way off. So we've got to pick our heads up and be ready to go on Saturday to compete one more time.

"It's the seniors' last game. It will be the last time we'll have a Krzysko on the field after about 250 games in eight years. So we know we have to come out and play at a high level."

No batter in the game had more than 1 hit.

"He (Perry Peterson) always coaches his team very well," said Kolbusz, a hall of famer along with Peterson. "They had a plan against us. They knew what Chardonnay could do. They tried to get on top of the rise ball and they tried to stay off the pitches they couldn't hit very well. He does a nice job. Every game is a challenge when you get down here."

Meyer threw the final 1⅓ innings for the Fillies, recording 3 strikeouts.

"Tori also made an unbelievable catch in left field (robbing Nellie Kamenitsa-Hale in the sixth inning)," Perry Peterson said. "Abbey (Jacobsen) made nice contact (sharp line out to left) in the first inning. That ball was crushed so that was encouraging. So there were good things going on."

Oak Park will face Lincoln-Way East at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday for the championship.

"Oak Park was tough," Perry Peterson said. "We struck out 10 times. We had nine flyballs or pop-ups and we hit two ground balls. That wasn't what we hoped to do. So let's give credit to Chardonnay Harris and her teammates. They were phenomenal. They played well and made no errors.

"We made almost every play. But I was proud of way we battled. Obviously, we need a little more offense in this environment. I got a lot of advice from a lot of people about facing high level pitching. But you've got to be able to do it in the game. We battled as hard as we could."

"This gives us a lot of confidence for (Saturday)," Krzysko added. "The one thing that could have changed the game is if we started hitting earlier and getting that confidence earlier. Then you can start stringing hits together. But this helps us because we're going to face just as good pitching again (Saturday)."