Benet patiently awaits debut at state
Marissa Panko waited on a Brianna LeBeau changeup, and the Benet freshman gave it a good swing.
Now Benet softball's wait is over.
Panko's double scored sister Mikayla Panko with the go-ahead run, opening the floodgates for a 3-run sixth inning, and Benet beat Richards 4-1 at Monday's Class 4A Hinsdale South supersectional to advance to state for the first time in school history.
“We knew she threw a lot of changeups, so waiting back was the key,” Marissa Panko said. “Her changeup is really good. You know you're going to get one at least during each at-bat — you just don't know when.”
Benet (30-10) twice before got through to supersectionals, in 2004 and 2005, both times losing to Lake Park. This Redwings team has sizzled late in the year, 18-2 since May 1, and will play Moline in Friday's 4:30 p.m. state semifinal in East Peoria. Moline knocked off defending 4A champion Sandburg 10-5.
“We gave Richards a lot of respect,” Benet coach Jerry Schilf said, “but we knew if we played our best we could win. The two times before we were almost glad to be here. That wasn't the case today. I've been telling them every day — this is not our goal. Our goal is down the road. We still haven't reached our goal.”
Richards (32-3) came in ranked No. 1 in the Chicago area according to some media outlets, winners of its first 28 games.
Danielle Kappel's single scored Hannah Jenkins in the top of the sixth to tie it, but the Bulldogs stranded a runner at third. Benet then sent eight batters to the plate in its half of the sixth against LeBeau, committed to Northwestern.
“Usually not a lot of people can hit my changeup,” said LeBeau, “but they did a good job with it today. They came up with the key hits today and we just didn't.”
With one out in the sixth Mikayla Panko hustled to beat out an infield single, then stole second. Marissa Panko fouled off a high pitch, then went the opposite way off LeBeau's killer changeup for a double into the left-center field gap.
Marissa Panko earlier singled in Benet's first run in the fourth, lining a shot off LeBeau's arm into center to score fellow freshman Julianne Rurka.
“I was trying to get them to swing at first-pitch changeup,” Schilf said. “(LeBeau) threw more changeups than anyone I've ever seen. Marissa was really the only one that did a good job of staying back on it.”
After Panko's double, Ali Michalik whistled a single past the first baseman to bring Panko in and Maeve McGuire lifted a flyball that the left fielder lost in the sun, scoring Michalik.
McGuire continued her torrid playoff hitting, going 2-for-2 with a double in the third for Benet's first hit and reached base four times.
Allyson Staats (28-9), coming off a shutout of Downers Grove South, turned in another gritty effort. She worked out of second-and-third, two-out jams in the first and third, and escaped another second-and-third situation in the fourth.
“That's been Allyson all year long,” Schilf said. “She seems to be better when the pressure is on.”
After Kappel's tying single in the sixth, Sam Kusta dropped down a bunt single. But Kusta was called out when the Richards coach illegally made contact with her rounding first.
Staats struck out five and was backed by a flawless defense. Mikayla Panko made running catches in center for third outs in the first and sixth to strand runners. Marissa Panko gunned out a runner from the hole at shortstop in the second and Rurka back-handed a bullet at third in the fifth, Nora McGuire making a nice swipe tag on the wide throw.
“My defense was just awesome again today,” Staats said. “They didn't let anything through. I'm just on adrenalin right now. The way we're playing right now, I feel that we can compete with anybody.”