Rosary drops 1-0 battle in sectional semifinals
ROCHELLE - Making its first softball sectional appearance in 15 years, Rosary was victimized twice by Sterling junior Jamie Rehmert in crunch time.
Rehmert squelched the Royals' best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, and the junior had the only extra-base hit of the contest in the top of the eighth to drive in the sole run of the Class 3A Rochelle sectional semifinal on Thursday afternoon.
The 1-0 Sterling victory ended the Royals' improbable postseason run while vaulting the squad into the championship game against Burlington Central on Saturday morning. Rosary, which won its first regional title last Saturday since 1994, concluded its season at 13-18.
"I had been struggling (at the plate) all game," said Rehmert, who doubled high off the center-field fence to score Lauren Schneiderbauer with one out in the extra frame. "It was a pitch that was right there. At first I thought it was gone, but it still got the run in."
Rosary came within a whisker of ending the Warriors' season in regulation. Courtney Classen singled to lead off the seventh inning, and Fortier laid down a perfect sacrifice. Rosary soon had runners at the corners when Emily Meyer was given new life on a dropped third strike.
But Rehmert had one of her 8 strikeouts to dodge one bullet, and, following a walk to Audry Ruddy, ended the Royals' primary threat by inducing a grounder to shortstop.
"It was a huge relief (to get to extra innings)," Sterling coach Rick Henderson said. "It had to take the wind out of their sails."
Over the course of the regulation play, neither pitcher gave any quarter. But they took an opposite approach to sustaining the scoreless tie.
Fortier went the distance as well; the senior had only a pair of strikeouts, but her fielders were flawless behind her. Rosary did not commit a single error in the contest.
"They played great defensively," said Henderson, whose team improved to 16-14 in winning its first sectional game in program history.
"It's frustrating," Fortier said. "We should still be out there playing. It stinks when you don't finish plays like that (in the Rosary seventh). We have been working really hard (during the postseason), and, finally, it all came together."
Fortier gave up 4 hits in regulation and did not issue any free passes. Unfortunately for the Royals, though, Rehmert was equally stingy throughout the contest. In addition to Classen, Brenda Rocha and Ali Keenum were the only players to single off Rehert in regulation; Andrea Deking had the final Royals' hit of the season with two outs in the eighth.
"We have talked about one-run games all season," said Rosary coach Tara Tattersall. "We anticipated a low-scoring game coming in. These girls - they fight. They don't give up."