Elgin stuns South Elgin heading into regionals
There are a couple of things - momentum and confidence - that every coach likes to see their team have entering the IHSA postseason.
On Friday afternoon at Elgin High, the host Maroons' softball team gained some, while South Elgin may have lost some.
On Senior Day, the Maroons spotted South Elgin a 3-0 lead before coming back to score 6 runs in their final two at-bats and stun the Storm 6-3 in the Upstate Eight Conference finale.
The game may have been a prelude to next Saturday's Class 4A Streamwood regional championship contest. The top-seeded Storm open regional play Tuesday against the winner of Monday's Dundee-Crown vs. Streamwood game, while the second-seeded Maroons take on crosstown rival Larkin, a team they've beaten twice this season, in Wednesday's semifinal.
"This gives us a little bit of confidence," said Elgin coach Peg Corcoran. "Momentum going into the postseason is priceless."
Maroons' senior Caris Alan, who was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year earlier this week and who will play basketball and possibly softball at Carthage College, couldn't contain her excitement over beating the Storm, which challenged for the UEC title up until the final week of the season.
"This is very nice; it feels great," smiled Alan, who was 2-for-4 and had a hand in both run-scoring innings. "It's a great way to end the year. We were down and I'm just really proud of all the girls. They pulled together and we did what we needed to do. This gives us a lot of confidence."
The Storm (21-12, 14-6) jumped on Elgin freshman Hannah Perryman for 2 runs in the top of the first. Kim Pierce drew a two-out walk and scored on Lauren Vitiello's double to right-center field. Vitiello then scored on Elgin's only error of the game to give the Storm a 2-0 lead. They stretched it to 3-0 in the fourth when Vitiello greeted Elgin junior Kelly Patchett with a long home run to right-center, Vitiello's seventh bomb of the season.
But from that point, Patchett allowed the Storm just 4 hits and she was the recipient of three outstanding catches in center field by junior Mari Aguilera.
The Maroons (9-21, 6-14) batted around and scored 4 runs in the fifth inning to take a lead they wouldn't let go of. With one out Aguilera, who was 3-for-3, singled to left and leadoff hitter Brandi Hernandez beat out an infield hit. Alan drove a single to center to load the bases just before Perryman drew a walk from South Elgin's Xenia Cerda to make it 3-1. Patchett then reached on a fielder's choice that forced Hernandez at the plate and the Storm appeared to be out of the inning when Cerda struck out Jenna Jaynes. But the pitch got past the South Elgin catcher to the backstop and Alan scooted home to make it 3-2. Jaclyn Navarro (3-for-3) then ripped a 2-run single to left-center to give the Maroons the lead.
"That's as well as we've hit the ball all year," Corcoran said.
Elgin added 2 runs in the sixth off reliever Diana Besser as Aguilera and Hernandez, who each singled, scored on an ill-timed throw home from South Elgin's infield on Perryman's grounder.
The Storm rallied in the top of the seventh when Shannon Conway drew a one-out walk and Kaitlyn Stonecipher singled. But Aguilera made a spectacular catch of Caitlin Stredde's rocket shot to center and Patchett got Pierce to fly to right to end the game.
"Mari made some phenomenal plays," Corcoran said. "Going into the last inning our goal was to give Patchett some breathing room. Our seniors came to play today but our underclass kids did too."
South Elgin coach Jason Schaal made no bones about his team's lack of focus.
"When you come out flat that's what happens," he said. "We had an opportunity to finish second in the conference and that would have been good for us. We have a tendency to come out flat and then we make mistakes. Mistakes happen but you have to work through it. We'll need to get past it by Tuesday or it's going to be a short postseason."
Schaal also gave Elgin its proper due.
"Hey, their center fielder make some phenomenal plays," he said. "Give them credit. Peg works hard and those kids work hard. They wanted it more today and they got it."