Softball: Mundelein rallies to beat Stevenson, earn another trip to the sectional championship game

Entering the bottom of the sixth inning in the sectional semifinal matchup with Stevenson, Mundelein — the sectional’s top seed — had zero runs and had just two hits all game.

At that juncture its senior leaders made it clear they didn’t want their season to end.

“The seniors took over our huddle when they came out from defense and just laid it all out and said, ‘We got to score if we want to keep playing,’ and they delivered,” Mustangs coach Heather Ryan said.

With a two-run sixth inning, Mundelein took a 2-1 lead, which carried through the end of the contest. The Mustangs will make their third consecutive appearance in the sectional final Saturday morning against the winner of Glenbrook North and Warren.

Tuesday’s game marked the third matchup between Mundelein and the Patriots this season, with the Mustangs winning all three. Two of the contests were decided by one run.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Ryan said. “They played their hearts out tonight. I thought we did too. We just got the better of them today.”

Stevenson pitcher Ava Potempa tallied four strikeouts while allowing just five hits, three of which came in the game-altering sixth inning, and no walks.

Pitcher Shae Johnson commanded the circle for Mundelein, throwing 15 strikeouts while allowing just four hits and three walks.

“Just keeping a slow tempo, not letting them take too much control of the energy, especially when I did let up a run,” Johnson said of what worked well for her. “Also, my riseball, I felt like was looking pretty good today.”

For the first three innings, Johnson and Potempa controlled the contest. Johnson pitched 1-2-3 innings in the first and second before tallying three strikeouts in the third, while Potempa allowed just one hit in the bottom of the first before pitching 1-2-3 innings of her own in the second and third.

In the top of the fourth, the Patriots took a 1-0 lead. Sofia Soyugenc hit a double that scored Alyssa Shimanski and advanced Jasmine Lucero to third with zero outs. Despite the difficult spot, Johnson stood tall and escaped the inning by allowing no extra runs by forcing three consecutive outs. She said she felt no added pressure in the moment.

“Trusting myself, knowing I’ve been in these situations before and knowing I can work through anything,” Johnson said of her confidence in the moment.

After a fifth inning in which Johnson threw three strikeouts to the three batters she faced and Stevenson allowed just one single before forcing three outs, the Mustangs took their lead in the sixth inning.

Johnson stepped up to the plate with two outs with hopes to score Kieley Tomas. That she did, bringing Tomas home with a single to even the contest at one apiece.

“Shae always seems to find herself in those positions to win the game (with) runners on base,” Ryan said. “She’s one of our best hitters under pressure. I think she’s good because she has all the pressure on the defense. It’s just a normal at-bat for her.”

One at-bat later, Shea Eaman hit a ball deep into center field that not only brought her all the way around to third base but, more importantly, scored Abby Rejezyk, the courtesy runner for Johnson.

After Mundelein had taken a 2-1 lead when its backs were against the wall with two outs, Johnson took the mound in the top of the seventh and put the game to rest with no hits and three more strikeouts.

After throwing her final strikeout, her teammates mobbed her to celebrate the Mustangs’ return to the sectional final.

“Them all coming towards me shows that support they’ve shown all season and shows how much they love me and care about me, which is more than any strikeout or anything else in the game,” Johnson said.