Glenbard South falls in state semifinals

EAST PEORIA — Jennie Laio was only keeping it real.

Did the LaSalle-Peru senior ever expect to be playing for a state softball championship?

“Ummm ... no,” Laio confessed after a pause. “We were just looking to get the regional title.”

The Cavaliers are playing for their first state title, after Laio's two-out, two-strike, go-ahead 3-run homer in the sixth inning gave them a 7-5 win over Glenbard South in Friday's Class 3A semifinal at EastSide Centre.

LaSalle-Peru (25-6) only six days ago won its first sectional title. Then the Cavaliers stunned top-ranked Oak Forest 1-0 on Monday to get to state.

This time it was Glenbard South (28-6) which fell victim.

Instead of wallowing in her program's third semifinal loss in four years, Raiders coach Julie Fonda tipped her cap to an opponent she knew little about before Friday.

“We didn't give them that game. They earned it,” Fonda said. “We'll bounce back tomorrow. They hit the ball hard, and they got a lot of timely hits.”

The Raiders held leads of 2-0 and 4-2 and were ahead 4-3 going into the sixth before LaSalle-Peru's Lindsey Lippert walked on a full count leading off. Ally Smith reached on an infield single, and Micky Fassino drilled a gapper double to score Lippert.

Glenbard South pitcher Jess Wilkes worked Laio to a 1-2 count, before the LaSalle-Peru third baseman unloaded on a curveball well over the fence in center for a 7-4 lead.

“I just went up there like it was any other at-bat, watched the ball from the release,” Laio said, “and I killed it.”

Glenbard South had one final rally in its system. Brianna Meath reached on an error to start the bottom of the seventh, and one out later Jenny Wittenberg drew a walk. Danielle Chitkowski grounded into a fielder's choice, Wittenberg scoring on a throwing error, and Jane Trzaska walked on a full count to put the tying run on base.

But Smith got a pop-up back to the mound to end it.

“My kids could have hung their heads completely after the home run, but we came back and hit them,” Fonda said. “There was never a second that I felt like that game was over.”

LaSalle-Peru, which won despite committing 5 errors and issuing 5 walks, advanced to face Marengo in today's 11:30 a.m. title game. The Cavaliers needed to beat a Streator team that it split with during the season just to win a regional, the school's third.

“I really haven't caught up to all this,” Laio said. “It's still so unreal to me.”

Glenbard South scored an unearned run in the first, and Wittenberg's single scored Hannah Davey in the third for a 2-0 lead. LaSalle-Peru came back with two runs in the top of the fourth to tie it, but the Raiders answered with two in their half of the fourth.

Trzaska turned on a two-strike single leading off and took second on an error, Olivia Ramirez singled her in and Ramirez came around to score on a Lisa Bartha squeeze.

LaSalle-Peru came back with a run in the fifth and appeared poised for more. Nina Bacidore laced an RBI single to right, but on the play the Cavaliers runner from second was thrown out on the plate on a perfect relay from Rachel Cohen in right to Chitkowski to Jackie Wrona.

“They're all little girls. I had no idea that they'd hit like that,” Chitkowski said. “But that (homer) was a bomb. You gotta give them credit.”

Wilkes (20-4) had given up just 1 run in five playoff games leading up to Friday but was touched for 12 hits and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts.

“Credit to that kid (Laio). She hit a nice curveball,” Fonda said. “Do I feel bad for (Wilkes)? No, because I know she's a resilient kid and she has a great future in this game. She will bounce back.”

The Raiders will play Bethalto Civic Memorial for third place Saturday, hoping to match their best finish at state achieved in 2008.

“We came up short today, and it hurts,” Chitkowski said, “but we're winning tomorrow.”