St. Charles N. wins on Korth's walk-off HR
Annie Korth expected first-pitch strike, and the St. Charles North senior was ready to pounce.
She didn't miss.
Korth drilled the first pitch she saw from New Trier's Brigit Ieuter for a walkoff homer with one out in the bottom of the seventh, sending the North Stars into the Class 4A state championship game with a dramatic 2-1 win at EastSide Centre.
Korth's fourth homer of the year was a missile over the fence in center — and undoubtedly the biggest shot in St. Charles North softball history.
“Every single at-bat she had thrown me a first-pitch strike. I just went for it,” Korth said. “I'm kind of speechless now. I can't believe it just happened.”
St. Charles North (32-3), in its first state tournament, will meet five-time champion Moline in tonight's 7 p.m. final. Moline (27-8-1) beat Benet 5-3 on Jordan de los Reyes' two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
North Stars coach Tom Poulin was at the center of the celebration at home plate for Korth. The party stops, though, when the clock strikes midnight.
“It's a great feeling, and the kids are gonna celebrate their tails off tonight,” Poulin said, “but we still have work to do. This is the first I've seen of Moline. They're as impressive of a team as I've seen this year.”
Nobody could expect a walk-off homer, but Poulin had a good feeling about Korth's at-bat.
“She had had some nice at-bats, and she saw a lot of pitches,” Poulin said. “She's an intelligent kid. She calls the game for us so she knows how people are pitching her. She adjusts well.”
Like she was a week prior against Elk Grove's Dani Goranson, St. Charles North pitcher Amanda Ciran proved up to the challenge in a tense pitcher's duel.
Ciran (24-1) retired the first eight batters she faced, then worked out of two-on jams in the third and fourth. In the fourth New Trier put runners on second and third with one out, but Ciran struck out Molly Morrison swinging on a nasty darting drop ball. She then retired Eileen Hurley on a grounder to short, Natalie Capone throwing out Hurley on a bang-bang play.
New Trier's Jackie Stern singled with two outs in the seventh and stole second, but Taylor Russell stabbed a hard-hit grounder at third for the final out.
“All that I was thinking,” Ciran said, “was to keep the runners on third and off of home plate.”
Ieuter held St. Charles North hitless for four innings with 7 strikeouts, setting down 10 in a row at one point.
Classic little ball got the North Stars on the board.
Korth was hit by a pitch with one out in the fifth, Ciran hit a chopper up the middle for the North Stars' first hit and on the play courtesy runner Sabrina Rabin aggressively took third in front of the tag.
Emily Watts then shot a single under the drawn-in second baseman's glove to score Rabin, making it 1-0.
“All season we've been aggressive on the basepaths, and especially with the girls with speed,” Poulin said. “Sabrina Rabin's got wheels — she's probably the fastest girl on the team. We're gonna be aggressive and make teams make plays.”
New Trier (23-12) answered with a run in the sixth. Chelsea Delaney's pop-fly dropped in no man's land between the mound and first, and Ryan Lee ripped a first-pitch single. Morrison walked to load the bases, and Delaney scored on a passed ball. On the same play, Lee was thrown out trying to score, Capone alertly backing up and firing to Ciran for the tag.
“We just have kids that make plays,” Poulin said. “There is pressure out there, and they know that — but not when they're between the lines. We have girls who can make plays and Amanda will battle.”
Now Ciran gets to play for a state championship. Just a year ago she watched Lemont Rockers summer teammate Lexi Bryant and future Loyola ‘mate Brit Gardner win it all with Sandburg.
It's her turn.
“Just to think that it's going to be us this year, it's so cool,” Ciran said. “It's a surreal feeling. I can't believe it's me this year, to be honest with you.”