Softball: Libertyville frustrates Warren again

Brooke Mangler nearly mangled a softball.

Leading off the top of the sixth inning against Libertyville, Warren's No. 2 hitter hit a line drive directly at pitcher Amanda Page, who snagged it.

Three batters later, after Warren had pulled even on Erika Jimenez's roped double that scored a speeding Caitlyn Britton, hard-hitting Carissa Topolinski nearly toppled Page. Her line drive caromed off Page to second baseman Sarah Bennett, who threw to first base for the out.

Page, the Wildcats' 5-foot-nothing ace, frustrated Warren's batters in Wednesday's Class 4A Palatine sectional semifinal.

Just like she's done in the past.

Libertyville frustrated Warren.

Just the Wildcats have done in the past.

Libertyville's 4-1 win, which was thanks to a 3-run bottom of the sixth, was its third in as many tries against the Blue Devils this season, following 1-0 and 5-4 decisions.

"I think she gets in our heads," Britton said of Page, a location artist who scattered 5 hits, struck out three and didn't allow Warren to add to its school-record homer total of 66. "I think Libertyville, as a team, gets in our heads."

No. 2 Libertyville (26-7), which handed Warren 3 of its 5 losses this season while extending its winning streak to 15 games, advances to Friday's 4:30 p.m. sectional final against No. 4 Hersey (26-6).

"What can you say? They're a good program," Blue Devils coach Jenna Charbonneau said of Libertyville. "We came out ready. They came out ready. It didn't go our way today."

Besides Page, Aliya Haddon had a big say in ending the season of No. 3 Warren (23-5). The senior shortstop went 3-for-3, including 2-for-2 against the hard-throwing Britton.

"Caitlyn typically throws outside so I was preparing for that," said Haddon, who singled to center in the first and knocked in the game's first run with a double in the fourth. "Then a lot of the balls were inside today, which is one of my favorite pitches to hit. It turned out for the best."

Funny enough, while few batters typically hit Britton hard, Haddon says she's had success against the Central Michigan-bound right-hander.

"I think she just sees her well," Libertyville coach Elissa Wisniewski said. "Britton's a good pitcher, so props to Aliya for being able to make an adjustment to her."

Maggie Evers, whose fourth-inning double preceded Haddon's, started the Wildcats' winning rally in the sixth with a single into right field.

Aware the cleanup-hitting Haddon had 2 hits in as many at-bats against Britton, Charbonneau made a pitching change, going with sophomore Kassie Jimenez, while Britton moved to right field.

"Just to get a change of pace a little bit," Charbonneau said. "They've seen her a lot this season. Kassie threw against them in the second game (in relief), and she threw really well against them. She kept them off-balance."

This time, Haddon greeted Jimenez by pulling a single into left field.

"I had the time to really take a look at her, and it turned out to be like almost perfect speed," Haddon said. "It was a feel-good speed."

Sarah Bennett followed Haddon's hit by dropping the go-ahead RBI single into shallow right field, and when a wild throw home allowed Haddon to score, the Libertyville lead was 3-1. Two outs later, Ella Zombolo singled in another run.

Kassie Jimenez doubled with two out in the top of the seventh, but Page got a groundball to end it.

Wisniewski has seen the fight in her team all season.

"Our kids have come out every day wanting to learn, wanting to adjust," Wisniewski said, "and have kept things simple."