Softball: IC Catholic Prep beats Lisle for sectional title
It took a little time, but the hitting ability that has helped IC Catholic Prep to another outstanding softball season heated up without the help of the weather during Saturday's Class 2A Lisle sectional final at Benedictine University.
After just connecting on two hits the first two innings, the Knights (26-5) belted nine more the rest of the way in cruising past the host Lions 12-1 in five innings.
IC proceeds to Monday's 11 a.m. Seneca supersectional, with a trip to the state finals on the line. The Knights will face Beecher, a 3-2 winner Saturday over Seneca in the Beecher sectional final.
The Knights get a another postseason shot at Beecher after the Bobcats stopped them in a supersectional last season.
"We're excited. We just have to take it game by game. We love playing together and we work so well together," said sophomore Alessandra Eccardt, who finished with 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Eccardt got her team's first hit in the top of the first, a double to the right-field corner. Teammate Natalie Murillo doubled in the second, but the Knights couldn't cross the plate in those first two innings.
IC got on the scoreboard with 3 runs on 2 hits in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Daniela Murillo's single to center was the lone RBI hit.
The big inning came in the fourth. The Knights scored seven times on four hits to break the game open.
The big belts that inning came from Eccardt's 2-run single, winning pitcher Becca Cash's 2-run double and Kayla Faber's RBI single.
IC had faced a different pitcher when the Knights beat the Lions during the regular season in April.
"We didn't see her before (Saturday). It took a few innings to adjust," Knights coach Frank Reaber said.
"We started to know how to hit our spots," Cash said.
Lisle's highlights came in the bottom of the fourth. Mandy Kaiser led off with a single to short center, followed by consecutive singles by Madelyn Smth and Amanda Ericson to load the bases. Jamie Kaiser's groundout scored Mandy Kaiser to put the Lions (11-18) on the board.
The Knights scored two more runs in the fifth thanks to Daniela Murillo's RBI triple and Josie Lytton's RBI basehit.
Cash was the winning pitcher, going four innings and striking out five. Faber finished up in the fifth and struck out a batter.
IC faces one more hurdle to clear for a trip to the state finals.
"We need to stay confident in ourselves and each other and just focus on softball when we're here (on the field) and not think of anything else," Cash said.
Lisle's roster this season was made up of five seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and four freshmen.
"It was a different mix, but we came together pretty well," said Lions coach Trent Schalk. "It was a great year. Seeing how we played defense in the (sectional) semifinal on Wednesday (a 2-0 win over Regina Dominican), makes me really excited for the future."