Naperville Central 2, Plainfield Central 0

Maggie Buoy modestly called it a "normal throw." Of the season-saving variety.

Naperville Central's center fielder threw out the potential winning run at the plate and two innings later delivered the game-clinching hit in the Redhawks' 2-0 win in 11 innings over No. 1 seed Plainfield Central in Wednesday's Class 4A Bolingbrook sectional semifinals.

"She made some pressure plays for us," Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said.

Naperville Central (24-6) will play either Lockport or Plainfield South in Saturday's sectional championship. It is only the second time in school history the school has reached the Sweet Sixteen in softball, first since 1989.

"Six children ago," Nussbaum said with a smile.

Plainfield Central (28-3) had a runner on second with two out in the bottom of the ninth of the scoreless game.

Casey Hiers hit a line-drive single to center, but Buoy's throw carried to the plate on the fly. Redhawks catcher Megan Silke swipe-tagged Olivia Scott to end the inning.

"I was just thinking you have to make a play," Buoy said. "I made a quick decision and got it off."

"What a great throw, and a nice catch and tag by Silke," Nussbaum said. "That's a game-saving play."

Stephanie Lynch reached on an infield hit to lead off the top of the 11th for Naperville Central. She moved to second with two outs on Katie Atwood's sacrifice bunt.

That brought up Buoy, who scorched the first pitch from Plainfield Central pitcher Brittany Adcox up the middle to score Lynch. Buoy got to second on the hit and scored on a single by Jori Gonzalez.

"The first pitch was usually there all day," Buoy said. "I just took advantage of it."

Naperville Central pitcher Natalie Wunderlich pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 11th. Fittingly, Buoy caught the third out.

Wunderlich (20-5), who has shut out opponents in 51 of her last 52 innings, struck out 11, as did Adcox in a vintage pitchers' duel. She didn't allow a hit until Julia Fink's bloop single behind the mound leading off the seventh.

Wunderlich also worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the eighth, getting a grounder to end the threat.

"Tonight I'll be tired," Wunderlich said. "I don't want to study. But I have finals tomorrow."

The Redhawks' win knocks out a leading contender for the Class 4A title. It also avenged a 1-0 loss to Plainfield Central in April. Naperville Central had five 1-run losses during the season, four of them by 1-0 scores.

"We're used to playing these," Nussbaum said.

"As much as I didn't want to face them," Wunderlich said, "I knew we had to beat them one of these times. All of those games prepared us."