St. Francis knocks out Glenbard South
Emma Chapman had the ultimate opportunity to further her own cause Wednesday afternoon in Lombard.
The St Francis starting pitcher strode to the plate in the top of the fourth inning of the Spartans' Class 3A Montini softball sectional semifinal against Glenbard South with the bases loaded and two outs.
Chapman rifled a single down the right-field line to score Fiona Summers and Shelby Winkelman.
It was one of four 2-run innings for St. Francis as Chapman allowed only 3 balls out of the infield in the Spartans' 8-4 victory.
Third-seeded St. Francis (24-4) advanced to the sectional final for the first time in three years and will face No. 4 Kaneland on Saturday morning.
Second-seeded Glenbard South, appearing in its 10th consecutive sectional, ended the year at 24-9.
St. Francis pounded out 14 hits against two Glenbard South pitchers.
"(The Raiders' reliever) was throwing a drop curve to the outside," Chapman said of her single that gave St. Francis a 6-1 cushion. "I tried to take it to right. I did my best and it worked out."
St. Francis led 4-0 after its first two at-bats.
Winkelman doubled home Carley Pasquale to open the scoring, and the freshman made it 2-0 in the first with on an infield throwing error.
Wasting no time in the top of the second, Janie Smith doubled to left for the Spartans and Bailey Zydek followed with another single.
The two scored moments later on an Amanda Imbrogno single and a Pasqual sacrifice fly to left.
Until the final batter of the game, Glenbard South did not have a basehit to the outfield.
Chapman changed speeds masterfully and located her fastball to great effect.
"It was a pretty tight strike zone," Chapman said of her accuracy.
"I was particularly happy Emma started using her changeup," St. Francis coach Ralph Remus said. "It can be an effective pitch for her."
The verdict also marked a change of fortunes for St. Francis against the perennial Glen Ellyn power.
"They're a great team every year," Remus said of the Raiders. "In the last six or seven sectionals they have bumped us out three times."
Ashley Cohen was credited with an RBI for Glenbard South in its half of the third, but the Chapman 2-run single in the Spartans' fourth was the key hit of the game.
Cohen and Holly Taylor were the only Glenbard South girls to hit the ball past the infield over the first 6⅔.
"That's a story on its own," Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said.
St. Francis extended its lead to 8-1 on 2 unearned runs in the seventh.
Tricia Weigand had the first hit to the outfield for Glenbard South with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.
Two more runs scored on an outfield error, but the game ended with Weigand tagged out in a pickle play.
"Fourteen (Glenbard South) hits?" Fonda asked. "They found holes today. You're not going to win a game when you give up 14 hits."