Softball: Antioch rallies to clinch fourth straight NLCC crown

Regardless of sport, the job of head coach requires managing many tasks at one time.

From the basic job of teaching the inner workings of their respective sport to sometimes being the driver who takes their team to compete in those contests in which they've practiced for, it’s all part of the job.

However, the most important job that a coach has can being the team's motivational speaker and biggest cheerleader when times get the toughest.

Such was the case for Antioch softball mentor Anthony Rocco when his squad started off their Northern Lake County Conference road contest at Grayslake Central trailing 4-0 after three innings Tuesday afternoon.

"We're still in this, we're still in this," Rocco said to his players as they came off the field.

Thanks to their ability to work their way back from that deficit, the Sequoits (16-12, 9 — 0) would make a successful comeback as they completed a 9-4 win in eight innings over the Rams (10-12, 5-4) to earn a share their fourth straight NLCC crown.

That share became an outright league title when Wauconda (7-22, 2-7) defeated Grant (14-13-1, 5-4) in a 13-9 home triumph.

"That's all we had to do — stay in it," Rocco said as his team celebrated with the NLCC trophy afterwards.

"These kids, they're athletes. We got a deep lineup. They know their mentality. I knew we could get it done. The kids came (back) and executed when it needed to be done. That's all that matters.“

The Rams got on the scoreboard first as they had a pair of runs that crossed home plate in both the bottom of the second and the third frames.

The comeback commenced with a two-run fourth that halved the deficit to 4-2 featuring an RBI hit from sophomore second baseman Alyna Matarieh that brought in third baseman Taylor Clark.

A pair of run-producing sacrifice flies tied the score, first by Clark in the fifth allowed first baseman Sam Hillner to score. Then Hillner came through two innings later to score catcher Addison Webb 's courtesy runner Mia Bellucci after the junior receiver's double started the inning.

After reliever Addison Osbourne delivered a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, the Sequoits got to work with Webb's second double nabbing the lead for good to make it a 5-4 lead. Hillner then connected with a 3-run homer followed two batters later by a run-producing double by right fielder Addison Housh that drove shortstop Claire Schulyer.

Osborne closed out the contest with her second shutout inning to earn her third win of the season.

Webb spoke of how her teammate's spirits aided her in her two big hits.

"In my mind I was like we (simply) needed a base hit. It was a do it for my team moment," Webb said.

"I think playing (softball) you're going to do more bad things than good things so it's just like having a positive mindset and knowing you're good enough to do it."