McGraw hurls aggressive Wave to sectional title

Worst to first situations in sports are usually heartwarming.

The St. Edward softball story is warming Green Wave Nation from head to toe.

Hitting the ball with authority, running the bases aggressively, playing solid defense, and getting another standout performance from its senior pitcher, the Green Wave dismantled host Timothy Christian 7-0 Saturday in Elmhurst to win a Class 2A sectional championship, the program's first ever in softball.

After winning just 6 games a year ago, St. Edward (18-11) will travel to Benedictine University in Lisle on Memorial Day to take on Morrison, a 10-0 winner over Genoa-Kingston Saturday in the Byron sectional final. Game time Monday is 12:30 p.m. Morrison (22-4), which finished fourth in Class A last year, won its two sectional games by a combined 24-0 over Byron and Genoa.

Saturday's historic win for the Green Wave, who were playing in a sectional final for the first time, was actually as easy as the score appears. Senior Erin McGraw allowed the Trojans (14-14) just 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks

"I'm at a loss for words," said McGraw, one of seven seniors on a team that had a turmoil-filled 2007. "It's the most amazing feeling ever. I don't even know how to describe it."

St. Edward scored early and often against Timothy sophomore Janna Strodtman. Kelly Knott led off the bottom of the first by legging out an infield hit. She took second on a wild pitch and third on Stephanie Werner's groundout. She then scored when her sister Kristi launched a deep enough sacrifice fly to center.

The Wave was far from done, scoring in every inning but two in the game.

Kristi Knott doubled and scored on Megan Pozezinski's single in the third to make it 2-0 and the Wave went ahead 4-0 in the fourth when Megan Tourtellott and Madeline Foehringer, both courtesy runners, scored on passed balls. McGraw had reached on an error and catcher Kristina Brockner singled to set up the inning.

That rally came after Timothy's best scoring chance in the top of the inning was snubbed out by a nifty-looking 5-2-6 St. Edward double play after the Trojans had put their first two runners on base.

"That was huge," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando.

The rest was pretty much left up to McGraw (9-5), who kept the ball down, changed speeds and relied on a defense that committed one harmless error.

"All my pitches were working well today, there was a lot of adrenaline and a lot of support," said McGraw, who retired the final 7 batters of the game in a row.

"The adrenaline just took over," said Rolando. "I talked to Erin after the sixth inning and told her to go out and throw the inning of her life and finish it and she did. That team had only been shut out three times this season and McGraw just came out and turned it up today. It was all adrenaline and desire to finish this game off."

The Wave added 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth to take some of the pressure off McGraw. Megan Smith, who had tripled earlier in the game, stroked a one-out single up the middle and with two outs, Werner doubled to make it 5-0. Kristi Knott then delivered an RBI double and Pozezinski a run-scoring single to make it a 7-0 game.

"Just seeing Kelly get on in the first inning, I knew we had to get that run and get the momentum," said Kristi Knott. "Everyone got going after that. I was just trying not to think and have fun."

The Trojans, who were also in their first sectional title, finished a good season with much to look forward to in the future. TC had just two seniors this year.

"It was like starting with a brand new team," said Trojans coach Nancy Wieringa. "We didn't really come around until the last two weeks. We've come a long way and it was thrilling to come this far. We lost today but we have a lot to be proud of."

As does St. Edward, which on Monday will seek the program's first trip to a state final tournament, having already reached the Elite Eight.

"They've overcome so much adversity since last season," said Rolando of his squad. "We're peaking at the right time and I know there's eight teams left in the state and we're one of them."