Hoffman Estates 4, Batavia 2

Hoffman Estates had one final obstacle to clear.

In the play-in game of the Class 4A Bartlett regional against host Batavia on Monday afternoon, Hoffman Estates starting pitcher Kaitlin Walsh was in a jam.

The Hawks' 2-run lead was in jeopardy after Batavia loaded the bases with on a double sandwiched by two walks.

But Walsh bore down, ending the game with the last of her 8 strikeouts to preserve the Hawks' 4-2 softball victory.

Hoffman Estates, the No. 17 seed in the Schaumburg sectional complex, improved to 11-19 and will face top-seeded Bartlett, which defeated Hoffman twice in the regular season, today.

Batavia, the 16 seed, bowed out at 9-19.

"I was thinking about not to walk anyone or leave a pitch right down the middle," Walsh said.

Hoffman Estates rallied late to revive its postseason fortunes.

With two outs and Alex Wulbecker on first base in the top of the sixth, senior Natalie Miceli laced a triple down the right-field line to score the game at 2-2.

The deadlock did not last long, however, as the throw attempting to gun down Miceli at third sailed wide of the mark, allowing Miceli to score the go-ahead run.

"This was my pitch, and I just went with it," Miceli said. "I knew the throw was off the line."

Colleen Roberts' sacrifice fly provided Hoffman Estates an all-important insurance run and further enabled Walsh to collected her ninth win.

Batavia had its fair share of chances to seize command early, but Hoffman Estates' Kelsey Pellus was the defensive star for the Hawks.

The freshman catcher gunned down three would-be base-stealers and later added a pickoff at first base.

Pellus also received a perfect feed from shortstop Roberts to nab another runner at the plate.

"I'm going to have to take a lot of the blame for that," Batavia coach Leon Pedraza said. "Those girls wouldn't have been going if I didn't send them. It was big."

"It changes the complexion of an inning quite a bit," added Hoffman Estates coach Lindsey Hamma.

Batavia took a 1-0 lead in its half of the first when Kelsey Phalen coaxed a leadoff walk and later scored on a one-out single by Brooke Nelson.

Pellus' sacrifice fly knotted the game in the Hawks' fourth, only to see Batavia take its final lead when Brooke Jancik scored Christine Lynam with an infield dribbler in its half of the fourth.

"We left nothing in the dugout," said Pedraza. "We went down fighting until the final out."