Crystal Lake South ends South Elgin's season
MACHESNEY PARK -- Gina DeFano crossed home plate, giving Crystal Lake South its first sectional softball title in school history.
Then she almost immediately donned a cap and gown and joined the other Gator seniors in a graduation ceremony on the field.
The timing of the Class 4A Harlem sectional final caused the Gators to miss their school's graduation ceremony Saturday morning, but after they defeated South Elgin, 1-0, on DeFano's seventh-inning walkoff home run, they had reason for a double celebration.
"We couldn't have been happier," said DeFano. "We wouldn't have wanted to graduate anywhere but on the softball field."
The Gators now face a date with defending state runner-up Barrington in Monday's Elgin supersectional at Northern Illinois University's Mary M. Bell Field. Game time is 4:30 p.m. and the winner advances to next weekend's state finals in East Peoria against the winner of Monday's Benedictine supersectional between Lake Park and Plainfield South.
DeFano's homer, a line drive that rolled nearly to the fence 300 feet away in right center field, broke up what had been an outstanding pitchers duel between the Gators' Jessica Gable and South Elgin's Rebecca French, who led their respective teams to the sectional finals for the first time in either program's history.
"We talked about this field, and because it's so far, if a ball gets past the outfielders, you can get home," DeFano said. "And I ran as far as I could around those bases."
"It was an outside pitch and she just kind of took it," said French.
Gable (11-11) held the Storm hitless through 6 innings before allowing 2 singles in the seventh. She allowed just 3 hits in two sectional games. In her third straight shutout, she fanned five and walked one while her team played flawless defense behind her.
"She's had an up and down season," said Crystal Lake South coach Scott Busam.
"But at playoff time, she's putting it together for us. We're not here without her."
French nearly matched Gable, allowing just 3 harmless hits and striking out eight through the first six innings.
French escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after Vikki Pyan tripled, Michelle Bump was hit by a pitch and DeFano walked.
Pyan was another star for the Gators (19-13). The sophomore shortstop had the Gators' first 2 hits and made a run-saving catch in the top of the seventh. After Caitlin Stredde and Lauren Vitiello singled, Layla Ismajlaj smacked a line drive that seemed destined for left field.
But Pyan made a diving catch to keep the shutout intact.
It was a bitter defeat for South Elgin, which finished the season 23-11.
"I told the girls that there's nothing I can say that's going to make you feel good right now," said Storm coach Jason Schaal. "But in another day, two days, three days, when they're able to sit back and reflect on the season and everything that we've accomplished, they're going to be very proud of what they did."
The Storm graduates just three seniors -- French, catcher Tegan O'Connor and second baseman Stephanie Sanocki.
"We had a great season and we did a lot better than people expected us to," said French, who will attend Grand Valley State in Michigan and possible try to walk on the softball team there. "There's only three of us leaving so I think they'll be strong again next year."
The Storm played without junior center fielder and No. 3 hitter Kim Pierce, who returned to Florida following the death of her stepfather earlier this week.
"The kids and all of us are with Kim and her family right now," said Schaal. "She contributed a lot to our success this season and I know she wanted to come back and play in the supersectional. Unfortunately we couldn't get that one more win for her."