Crystal Lake South 2, Woodstock 0

MACHESNEY PARK -- Dominant pitching and one timely hit were all the Crystal Lake South softball team needed here Thursday to advance to its first sectional final.

Senior right-hander Jessica Gable held Woodstock to 1 hit and Nikki Pyan's 2-run single in the fifth provided her with all the run support she needed as the Gators downed Woodstock, 2-0, in the second semifinal of the Class 4A Harlem sectional at the Harlem Community Center.

The Gators (18-13) face South Elgin (23-10) in Saturday's 10 a.m. championship with the winner taking on either Barrington or Mundelein Carmel in Monday's Elgin supersectional at Northern Illinois University's Mary M. Bell Field.

"They got where they are through hard work. I'm not sure anybody counted on us to get where we are right now," said South coach Scott Busam. "They prepared themselves for this. I am not surprised at all, after the week of practice that we had, that this is what happened."

Gable was overpowering, striking out 10. After the Blue Streaks' only hit, a bloop double by Claire Walsdorf leading off the third inning, Gable retired 14 in a row. She walked Morgan Osness with two outs in the seventh, but Tori Maule hauled in Leah Furtado's short fly to right to end it.

"That's what we expect from our senior pitcher," said Busam. "She's our ace and she looked like it today."

Early on, Gable didn't think she was going to turn in a top performance, but Pyan's hit inspired her.

"At the beginning of the game, I wasn't feeling it at all," said Gable. "After Pyan hit in the 2 runs, I thought, 'I just can't let everyone down.' That's when I really started picking it up."

Later, the Gators reflected on their historic achievement.

"We're the only team in South history to ever get past this game," said Gina DeFano. "It's just an awesome feeling. Nobody ever expected us to do this, and we're doing it."

After a hit batter with one out in the fifth, Emily Mahoney singled to right. Samantha Hardie sacrificed the runners over, and Pyan delivered a one-hop single to short center, scoring both runners.

Woodstock's Taylor Schulty suffered the loss for the Blue Streaks (17-17) in the circle.