South Elgin 6, Rockford Boylan 3
MACHESNEY PARK -- It may not have officially been Senior Day for South Elgin's softball team Wednesday, but it might as well have been.
Led by its three seniors, the Storm brushed aside Rockford Boylan 6-3 in the semifinals of the Class 4A Machesney Park Harlem sectional at Harlem Community Center.
South Elgin (23-10) will take on the winner of today's game between Crystal Lake South and Woodstock at 10 a.m. Saturday for the right to advance to next Monday's supersectional at Northern Illinois University.
"We probably haven't even realized the importance of winning the regional yet," said South Elgin coach Jason Schaal. "I'm very proud of everything we're doing and a big part of that is the three seniors. They're outstanding."
Those three seniors -- Rebecca French, Tegan O'Connor and Stephanie Sanocki -- were at the forefront of South Elgin's win Wednesday, a victory that keeps the Storm in the hunt to become the second straight School District U-46 softball team to reach the state final tournament, following in Bartlett's footsteps of a year ago. In fact, if South Elgin wins Saturday it will have reached the same round -- the Elite Eight -- as Bartlett did a year ago.
French didn't allow an earned run in the victory Wednesday, pitching a complete game 5-hitter with 6 strikeouts and no walks. O'Connor got the big hit when the Storm scored 3 runs to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, and Sanocki out the icing on the cake with an RBI single in the sixth.
"Those three are making their mark at South Elgin for all the younger kids on how to play in the state tournament series," Schaal said.
French (13-5) matched scoreless innings with Boylan sophomore Cammy Washington until the Storm broke through in the top of the fourth.
Junior Lauren Vitiello started the rally with a bad-hop single and Courtney Bosteder beat out an infield bouncer over Washington's head. Layla Ismajlaj then hit a clean single to center field. Pinch-runner Shannon Conway hesitated momentarily at third but when Boylan bobbled the ball in the outfield she came home with the first run. O'Connor then ripped a clean single to center to make it 2-0 and Sanocki's grounder to short made it a 3-0 Storm lead.
"Usually when we get that first hit everyone gets going," said O'Connor. "We feed off each other."
With French in command in the circle, the Storm made it a 6-0 game in the sixth.
Vitiello led off with a single before Washington issued back-to-back walks to Bosteder and Ismajlaj to load the bases. O'Connor lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield and Sanocki's single made it 5-0, with a sixth run scoring on a throwing error.
"We're very excited," O'Connor said. "Us three seniors have wanted this for the last two years. Everyone put everything they had out there today and we keep playing well."
Boylan scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth and then two more unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Titans (19-9) would have had the tying runs on base after an RBI single by Emily Cook but their runner at third strayed too far off the base and the Storm defense alertly picked off her third for the final out.
"I was kind of nervous because we hadn't scored but once we scored I was fine," said French. "At the end of the game they weren't chasing my breaking pitches and the strike zone got a lot tighter. But our defense was solid most of the game."
Schaal was happy to see his team threatened a little.
"We needed that pressure," said Schaal, whose team won its two regional games by shutouts. "We're happy to be in Saturday's game and to represent our school and our district."
Baseball
Riverside-Brookfield 1 Wheaton Academy 0: No matter the outcome his team accepted Wednesday afternoon in LaGrange, Wheaton Academy starting pitcher John Lace had one heck of a time.
So when Lace's Warriors walked off the field after an eight-inning, 1-0 loss to Riverside-Brookfield in the Class 3A Nazareth Academy sectional semifinal, the sophomore starter felt no regrets.
"Eight innings, 1-0 -- this was exciting," a smiling Lace said. "I love this. This was probably the best game of my life so far."
For six innings Lace stood locked in a pitchers' duel with Riverside-Brookfield starter Jon Kleinmeyer, with each pitcher giving his opponent little chance to score.
The game's first real scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the seventh, when Riverside-Brookfield (23-12) had runners on first and second with no outs.
On a missed sacrifice bunt attempt, Wheaton Academy catcher Dan Spiotta fired to third base, catching a stealing Billy Vandemerkt. Third baseman Josh Rak then quickly tossed the ball to the right side of the infield, catching a second Bulldogs runner for an uplifting double play.
As quickly as Wheaton Academy (16-14-1) enjoyed momentum in the bottom of the seventh inning, it left just as quickly in the bottom of the eighth.
A single and two intentional walks loaded the bases for Riverside-Brookfield third baseman John Hearlston, who sharply lined the game-winning single into left field.
"That's just the game of baseball," said Wheaton Academy coach Willie Bosque. "You've got to cash in (on opportunities), especially when you're playing a good team like R-B. Those guys are going to get after it.
"I always tell our guys, 'Good teams will always give you a chance to beat them, and you've got to take that opportunity every time you get it.' "
The Warriors placed a runner in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, yet came away empty each time.
"We had good pitching, good defense, but we just didn't get the timely hit when we needed it," Bosque said. "Those are the three key things you need to win big games."
With 13 juniors and two sophomores returning next season, Wheaton Academy hopes to be well-positioned for a similar postseason run in 2009. For now, though, Lace and company can feel proud of how far their 16 victories carried them.
"This is what I live for," Lace said. "I (didn't) have to be perfect. That's just the way God allowed the game to go, and I'm grateful for that."
-- Matthew McClarey