Bartlett hoping third time is charm vs. SCN

It's surprising enough to see a sectional championship game between a No. 5 and No. 7 seed.

Then throw in that one of those teams brings a starting lineup with either seven or eight sophomores, and you'd have to say you never could imagine the Class 4A Lake Park sectional title game at 11 a.m. today would be a matchup between St. Charles North and Bartlett.

That is unless you are one of those sophomores, North Stars left fielder and backup catcher Annie Korth.

"I'm definitely not surprised," Korth said. "I believe we had the best chance of any of the teams to get in the sectional final and hopefully we'll make it to state."

The fifth-seeded North Stars (27-9) will need a third win over No. 7 Bartlett (21-14) to get to Monday's supersectional at Benedictine against either Naperville Central or Lockport.

St. Charles North defeated Bartlett twice on their way to winning the Upstate Eight Conference title. Coach April Stary is glad her team is going up against someone they know well, even if they are taking on a red-hot Bartlett team that has knocked out DuPage Valley Conference powers West Chicago and Glenbard North in its last two games.

"I like that better than going against a team like (Glenbard West, the sectional semifinal opponent) we know nothing about," Stary said. "Everyone can do their homework but unless you actually play a team you don't know what they are capable of."

Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith believes his team's two 6-1 losses to the North Stars can be thrown out the window today.

"I think we're playing a much better level of softball than we were when we played them before," he said. "We just have to continue doing what we've been doing."

Like St. Charles North, Bartlett is capable of putting runs on the scoreboard - like the 8-6 win over West Chicago - or shutting you down, just as they did Thursday 2-1 over Glenbard North. Junior Butler recruit Callie Dennison (17-11, 1.70 ERA) held the Panthers to 1 run on 4 hits while Illinois State-bound Elizabeth Kay (. 402, 26 RBI) drove in both runs.

The North Stars feature a dangerous lineup up and down the order. No. 3 hitter Taylor Russell leads with a .374 average but Ashley Seering (. 362), Loren Cihlar (. 310) and many others can come through with the game-breaking hit.

"Our 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 hitters have all hit home runs," Stary said talking about Russell, Julia Clare Plezbert, Seering, Amanda Ciran, Korth and Kristin Damm.

"They all have enough power to get the ball out of the park. As long as they can do that we can stay in ballgames."

Wolfsmith respects St. Charles North's power potential but also points to it speed as a key.

"They have such great team speed that you really can't simulate some of the things they do," he said. "They put the ball in play and make the defense work and this year they've got a few boppers in the middle who can hit.

"Defensively they're pretty solid. They're quick and they don't make a lot of mistakes. And, they have two good pitchers with contrasting styles."

St. Charles North has been using both pitchers Amanda Engel and Amanda Ciran. Engel pitched the first four innings in a 9-4 win over Glenbard West Wednesday and Ciran the final three.

"She starts it, I end it lately," Ciran said. "We feel that is a good position for us. She gets a nice lead for me, I get to shut it down. We work well as a team."

Ciran pitched the final 2 innings of St. Charles North's 3-2 victory over Lake Park last Saturday in the regional finals. Now they will try to knock out another Upstate Eight foe while playing their fourth straight game on the Lake Park field.

"We just have to come play like we have been," Ciran said. "Bats have to be on, pitchers have to be on, defense has to be on. We can do it. We know we can do it. We just have to show up that day."

Like Korth, sophomore second baseman Sydney Russell and sophomore right fielder Cihlar are enjoying being part of a team that is turning heads everywhere with such a young lineup.

"A lot of people didn't think sophomores could have done it but our team is strong offense and defense and our sophomore dominated team clicked," Russell said.

"I knew we were going to be good but not this good," Cihlar said. "It is really exciting knowing we are the youngest team out here and we're beating people left and right."

Burlington Central vs. Sterling: In the Class 3A final at Rochelle this morning (11 a.m.), the Rockets (23-5) will be after their first sectional title since 1993 when now-assistant coach Wade Maisto guided them downstate for the second time. Since then, Central has been in sectionals six times, losing to Thomson in the 2002 final and to Dakota in the 2005 final, both in Class A.

Against Sterling, the Rockets will face a Golden Warriors team that is just 19-16, but has lost 14 one-run games, and which knocked off higher seeded Geneseo and Rock Island Alleman in regional play before beating Rosary 1-0 in the sectional semifinals.

"They've got a real nice pitcher (junior Jamie Rehmert) who tries to keep you off balance with a mixing of speeds," said Rockets coach Scot Sutherland. "They've got some kids that can hit the ball and a couple nice freshman at key spots who are very athletic. They play good fundamental softball."

The Rockets are led by senior pitching ace Mackenzie Scott (18-2, 0.20 ERA, 254 Ks). Scott allowed 1 hit in a 1-0 regional final win over Kaneland and then tossed a 4-hitter in a 4-0 sectional semi win over Sycamore.

The winner advances to Monday's NIU supersectional to face the winner of the Marengo sectional final between Antioch and Vernon Hills.

John Radtke contributed to this report.