Softball: Big finish helps Libertyville past Stevenson

There could have been a lot more drama to the ending of the championship game of the Class 4A softball regional Saturday at Stevenson.

But with 4 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, No. 1 seed Libertyville broke the game wide open against the host Patriots, as the Wildcats won 9-2 for their third regional title in four years.

Libertyville (28-5) advances to the New Trier sectional semifinals against No. 4 Hersey at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Stevenson finished 14-19.

The Wildcats jumped on Stevenson sophomore pitcher Riley Housinger in the bottom of the first inning. Kenzie Rother led off with a walk before moving to second on a bunt single by Sam Hilldale. Dayton-bound winning pitcher Hannah Heraty (24-5) then singled to center field for a 1-0 lead.

The second inning proved to be even more of a challenge for the Patriots as Libertyville's Sarah Hoyer led off with a single to left field. Then No. 9-hitter Emily Hilldale hit a ball to center field, but when the Stevenson center fielder slipped on the wet grass, Hilldale wound up getting a bloop double to put runners on second and third with no out.

Rother came through with a fielder's choice RBI, before Heraty's two-out RBI single to left staked the Wildcats to a 3-0 lead.

"Offensively today we played base to base, and we got those runs because we were able to get bunts down and move the runners over," said Libertyville coach Elissa Wisniewski, whose team outhit the Patriots 13-8 on her birthday. "It was a close game (until late), and we always know Stevenson is going to be a tough game."

Libertyville's persistent offensive attack got going again in the fourth, as Rother reached base on a one-out single before Sam Hilldale walked. Rother scored on a wild pitch before Hilldale stole third base and scored on a sacrifice bunt by senior Lyndsey Lyon for a 5-0 advantage.

Stevenson got its offense going in the fifth when senior Emma Oriatti doubled to left-center with one out before scoring on senior teammate Mic Faunce's RBI double down the left-field line.

Then with two out, senior Alyssa Pauly drove in Faunce with an RBI single to left and Stevenson trailed only 5-2.

The Patriots kept the pressure on the Wildcats in the sixth, as Gina Shanley (1-for-2, double) led off with a walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carly Perkins.

A single to center by Gwen Heilman along with some aggressive base running put runners on second and third before Vera Pflugradt grounded out for the second out.

But then disaster struck for the Pats, as Libertyville catcher Hoyer alertly picked the runner off third base to end the threat with no runs.

"That was a game-changer," said Wisniewski, whose team went 3-0 against Stevenson this spring. "(Heraty) did a really good job. She came up with some really big outs after some really big hits."

That huge defensive play by Hoyer sparked Libertyville as the Wildcats scored 4 runs on 4 hits aided by 3 errors in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Rother reached on an error to start the inning before Sam Hilldale reached on a bunt single. Then Heraty reached on an error before Hilldale scored the sixth run on yet another infield miscue by the Pats.

Maggie Evers added a fielder's choice RBI before junior teammate Franny Quenan (4-for-4, 2 doubles) doubled to left-center for an 8-2 lead. An RBI bloop single by Madeleine Hollinger accounted for the final score.

"I feel great about not only myself, but by how the whole team played and everybody contributed," said Quenan. "We've got a lot left in us. A win like this will motivate us to keep moving forward and keep doing well."

Stevenson coach Perry Wilhelm will miss his five seniors at the top of the batting order, including cleanup hitter Alana Labaschin, who set the school record for RBI in a season.

"(Libertyville) is the No. 1 seed and they showed it, but I'm proud of the way our girls battled and the improvement we showed over the year," said Wilhelm. "(Heraty) is a really good pitcher and they're a pretty good hitting team. Good teams put pressure on you and we have to be able to make those plays."