Win worth wait to Benet

Benet coach Jerry Schilf was eager as anyone to finally play a game.

The fifth-seeded Redwings’ regional semifinal against 12th-seeded Metea Valley had been postponed two straight days because of heavy rain throughout the area.

When the skies finally cleared by Friday afternoon, senior pitcher Allyson Staats made it worth the wait, going all seven innings in a complete game during a 2-0 victory over the Mustangs.

Benet (26-10) advances to the regional final against Plainfield Central on Saturday.

“It was really unnerving,” Schilf said of the two-day wait. “We’re just waiting and waiting and we knew we were playing a solid team in Metea Valley. We just wanted to get the game over with and now we can move on to Plainfield Central.”

Julianne Rurka started the scoring for Benet with a double to right field in the bottom of the second. She eventually scored off a single by Mikayla Panko to put the Redwings up 1-0.

Metea Valley (16-14) had a scoring chance in the top of the third when Emily Baker singled and Antoinette Senese doubled, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. However, Staats settled down and struck out the next two batters she faced before getting Jenn Faassen to ground out and end the scoring threat.

“It’s always nerve-racking no matter the game or the situation,” Staats said. “But I remind myself that I’ve got a strong defense behind me. Once I tell myself that, I just go out, throw my pitches and my teammates back me up.”

The Redwings added another run in the bottom of the third when Staats grounded out but drove in Julianne Rurka from third base.

The Mustangs had their best scoring chance in the top of the sixth. After getting the first two batters to fly out, Staats found herself in another jam when Metea Valley’s Kim Baker reached on an error and pinch hitter Mary Przekwas doubled to left center, sending Baker to third. But Staats managed to get Emily Baker to pop out and end the Mustangs’ last major scoring threat.

Metea Valley stranded nine runners on the day.

“We just couldn’t get the timely hits we needed to,” Metea Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. “When you don’t capitalize and continue to give the momentum to an experienced senior group, it’s going to come back and hurt you.”

Staats (24-9) gave up no runs on six hits and finished with six strikeouts and two walks. Alexa Caputo picked up the loss for the Mustangs, going 3⅓ innings, giving up two runs on three hits.