Count another victory for Antioch

Inevitably, conversations regarding Antioch's softball sluggers include the question, "How many?"

Take Thursday.

After Lauren Moore kept fouling off pitches from Wauconda's Brittany Ehmann in the first inning of the teams' Class 3A sectional semifinal at Prairie Ridge in Crystal Lake, Moore was curious herself.

"I was asking people in the dugout," Moore said. "I was like, 'How many (foul balls) was that?' "

She fouled off an estimated half a dozen Ehmann offerings before finally drawing a walk.

"The first at-bat, I was like, 'All right, I saw a lot of pitches,' " Moore said. "I felt confident with every foul ball that I hit."

In the second inning, the confident hitter smacked a home run to right-center field for her fifth of the season and second in as many games. The homer plated Jess Liszka and Olivia Duehr, too.

It was the lone long ball for Antioch, which added to its state-record total in its 10-2 win that earned the Sequoits (29-5) a berth in Saturday's 11 a.m. sectional final against Marengo.

Afterward, coach Jeff Tylka got the question, naturally.

How many homers does Antioch have now?

The answer is 47.

Moore's opposite-field shot, on a 3-2 pitch, capped a 4-run inning, hiking Antioch's lead to 6-1.

"I was down in the count and then she threw high-outside," said the Loyola-bound third baseman, beginning to smile. "That's my favorite pitch. When I hit it, I didn't think it was going over."

Antioch's offense threatened all game, but unlike when the teams met during the regular season, the Sequoits were never able to 10-run Wauconda (21-14).

"It felt like it was about 3-1," Tylka said of the final score. "I didn't really feel comfortable the whole game."

Antioch won for the 24th time in its last 25 games, after starting the season 5-4. The Sequoits' losses are to Lake Zurich, Barrington, Cary-Grove, Elk Grove and Marengo. Each of those teams won a regional.

But while the Sequoits touched Ehmann for 11 hits, including three apiece by Moore and lefty-hitting Cat Dinklenburg, they stranded 11 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first and third. Ehmann walked eight.

"It was really frustrating," Moore said. "Coach (Tylka) was telling us (after the game), 'I shouldn't be yelling at you guys because we just won, but when we leave runners on base like that it's really annoying.' "

Samie Seamon added a single, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases and 2 RBI for Antioch, while Liszka chipped in a 2-run single. Winning pitcher Duehr was 2-for-5 with an RBI double and run-scoring single.

One of the hardest-hit balls of the game came off the bat of Wauconda's Steph Olson, who belted a solo homer off Duehr with two out in the top of the second.

Olson's homer was a no-doubter, a line shot that easily cleared the fence in left field. It was her first homer, after she hit four as a junior.

"I got in a huge slump this season," said Olson, who last year hit the first-ever homer at Wauconda's new varsity field. "I was our ninth batter (in the order) so many games. I just started coming around.

"(The pitch) was right where I like it. We've known Olivia Duehr for a while. One of my travel coaches told me to mess with her in the box by moving up and back, so she has to change her release point. That's what I did."

Olson's homer was Wauconda's lone hit until the seventh, when Kendra Wedl and Cara Nance slapped back-to-back singles.

Duehr ended the game with consecutive strikeouts.

Oh, how many strikeouts did the strikeout pitcher have?

Eight.