Softball: IC Catholic Prep’s first trip to state ends with fourth-place finish

IC Catholic Prep softball coach Frank Reaber has had quite a career.

As a dirt-track race car driver, Reaber won competitions within a five-state radius and was a 2022 Stock Car Hall of Fame Inductee.

But now, in his 17th season as head softball coach at IC, he achieved something else. Guiding the Knights to their first state finals appearance.

So, which was a better accomplishment?

"Right now, I'm going to say this," Reaber said of getting his team to state. "This is great. For years, we've been close. It's hard work to get here."

The Knights (30-7) were certainly there. They battled in the semifinal before falling short in an 8-6 loss to Seneca (39-2) on Thursday. Then they fell 15-6 to Williamsville on Friday in the Class 2A third-place game at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.

"We got fourth in the state," said Reaber, who has 360 career wins. "I couldn't be prouder."

IC had 14 hits in the semifinal game. But Seneca, which faced Carterville (38-1) in the title game, plated three runs in the top of the sixth and added another one in the seventh. IC got a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally fell short.

"We were up 5-4 with two outs in the sixth," Reaber said. "I think if we had gotten out of that inning, we would have won."

Freshman shortstop Sophia Deoudes had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs for IC. Senior center fielder Sofia Bucaro, j unior third baseman Lexi Russ (2 RBI), senior second baseman Lexi Hoffman, and junior designated player Ariani Zito (2 runs) all added two hits for the Knights.

“Ariani Zito broke her hand two weeks ago," Reaber said. "She couldn't play the field, but she told me she could slap hit, and she went 2-for-4. Then, in our third-place game, (junior catcher) Kelly Cahill bruised her fingers and kept playing. We were beat up, and we kept playing."

In the third-place game, Williamsville (32-8) scored eight runs in the first two innings, before IC plated a run in the bottom of the second. Bucaro, Cahill, Hoffman, and senior pitcher/first baseman Leilani Mendez (double) all had two hits for the Knights.

"It was amazing," said Buccaro, who transferred to IC from Addison Trail before her junior year. "I couldn't ask for a better team or experience. Just being here was a blessing. We just wanted to play until we can't play."

Maddy Dininom, a senior who started at first base and went in to pitch and had two RBI against Williamsville, was also overjoyed to end her high school career at state.

"I was on the varsity all four years," she said. "We lost in the supersectional last year. So to get here now, I'm so happy and proud of us. This is what we wanted our senior year.

"I'll just remember all the girls I played with. We were here, and we just kept pushing."