Big inning, Efflandt lead No. 1 Cary-Grove
ROCKFORD — One big inning was all Cary-Grove’s softball team needed here Thursday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight year.
And a little vintage Lindsay Efflandt didn’t hurt either.
The top-ranked Trojans scored 5 runs in the fifth inning and Efflandt fired a masterful 2-hitter with 6 strikeouts and no walks as Cary-Grove downed Fox Valley Conference Valley Division rival Jacobs 5-0 in the second semifinal of the Class 4A Rockford Guilford sectional.
The Trojans (30-1) will take on DeKalb (30-4) on Saturday for the sectional championship and a spot in Monday’s NIU supersectional against either Elk Grove or St. Charles North. Rockford Guilford officials announced Saturday’s start time as 3 p.m., a change from 11 a.m. due to DeKalb’s graduation.
But there is apparently some controversy over the time changing from 11 a.m., which Cary-Grove coaches were arguing against Thursday.
IHSA softball administrator Matt Troha said late Thursday night he had not been contacted about a time change, but that would be the necessary protocol.
“Protocol is to talk to the sectional manager first but any changes have to be approved by the IHSA office.” said Troha, who added that graduation is usually the one thing the IHSA always approves a time change for.
Game times controversy aside, Cary-Grove showed its mettle again by doing what it had to do to move on.
Efflandt, the sophomore fireballer who improved to 27-1 with the win, and Jacobs senior Marissa Lombardo were locked in a classic pitchers duel through four innings.
But in the fifth, Jacobs (21-12) opened the door a little and Cary-Grove broke it down.
Jamie Deering led off the inning with a misjudged double to the outfield. Sara Markelonis then blooped an infield single over Lombardo’s head and out of the reach of second baseman Nicky Chapa. Leadoff hitter Eleni Polites dropped an infield single down the first-base line and the Trojans had things cooking.
Senior Alexis Haley then lined Lombardo’s first pitch to left field to drive in Deering with the only run Cary-Grove and Efflandt would need.
“You just gotta get the job done,” Haley said. “Whatever it takes. I was going for the first good pitch she gave me. Whatever it takes.”
The Trojans were far from done, and scored all four of their final runs on one play. Emma Gaulke followed Haley to the plate and lined a single to the outfield to score Markelonis and Polites. An error on the play allowed the speedy Haley to come home with the fourth run and then, while Jacobs was convening its defense in the pitchers’ circle Gaulke, who had started inching off third, bolted home without a play.
Game, set, match.
“The girls did a great job of coming through,” Cary-Grove coach Tammy Olson said. “Jamie started it with that hit, Markey gets that little hit and then they just kept coming.
“One inning. Sometimes that’s what it takes.”
Jacobs had its only chance to rattle Efflandt in the second when Lombardo got the only solid Golden Eagles hit of the day, a single up the middle. Maggie Hansen sacrificed courtesy runner Kaitlyn Woloszyk to second and when the Trojans made a throwing error on Chapa’s grounder, Woloszyk was sent home. But Deering, backing up first, fired a strike to catcher Sarah Leudo, who tagged Woloszyk out.
“That hurt us mentally,” said Jacobs coach Jeremy Bauer of not scoring on the play.
The Golden Eagles never again threatened to score on Efflandt, who threw her 11th shutout of the season and registered 5 of her 6 strikeouts after the Trojans took the lead.
“Once you get the insurance runs it really helps,” Efflandt said. “It helps a lot with my confidence. It reminds you that your teammates are right there for you.”
“She came in with a goal and she achieved it,” Olson said of her ace. “This was one of her better games.”
Lombardo and senior Amber Livingston pitched well, too. Lombardo only allowed 2 hits outside the fifth inning, striking out six and walking two in 5⅔ innings. Livingston finished, allowing no hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk.
“We practiced for specific situations, we worked ourselves into those situations and then we had some mental gaffes and (Cary-Grove) executed,” Bauer said.
But for the Golden Eagles it was a second straight season-ending loss to their conference rival, which left Bauer frustrated.
“That’s eight (seasons) in a row of 20-plus (wins),” he said, “but that’s not what I was looking for this year. I was looking for a sectional championship, to go a step further than last year at least. We just got matched up with a great team. But our coaching staff prepared us better than we have ever been prepared. Without coach (Chris) Taylor and coach (Dave) Nowak, we’re not here.”