On to the Final Four for Antioch after beating Geneseo
MARENGO - Antioch coach Jeff Tylka did not want to see Katie Lenz up at the plate.
With the Sequoits clinging to a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning, Lenz was 7 batters away.
Geneseo had brought the game within 3-2 with the bases juiced as Lenz, who had gone 2-for-3, stepped up to bat.
Antioch junior pitcher Olivia Duehr struck out Lenz to secure the Sequoits' 3-2 victory in the Class 3A Marengo supersectional game and advance to Friday's state tournament semifinals at the Eastside Center in East Peoria. Antioch (31-5), which had never before advanced to the Final Four in softball, awaits the winner of Oak Forest vs. Metamora, which takes place at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"I told myself to breathe," said Duehr, who walked in Emily Zaderaka with the bases loaded to bring Geneseo within 3-2 with one out in the seventh. "I didn't want to give her anything to hit."
After the Sequoits led 3-0 for the majority of the game, Geneseo (33-6) got on the boards with runs in the sixth and seventh innings despite not recording a hit in the seventh.
Zaderaka drew a one-out walk, followed by Jessica Murray reaching base on an error. Leadoff hitter Maggie Bergeson was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Robin Schaefer then took a 4-ball walk before Antioch responded by retiring the next two batters to secure the win.
"It's not the way we try to do things, but it's the way we've done it," Tylka said of close wins, referring to both Monday's win and Saturday's 3-2 win in the sectional final against Marengo. "It's not that we take an inning off or anything. But the girls were very resilient."
The resilience started when the Sequoits took a 3-0 lead after the third inning and Duehr (22-5) struck out six through the first three innings.
Sophomore catcher Amber Mysliwiec battled back from 0-2 to take a walk to lead off the second. After pinch runner Angela Barone advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, Bailan Reynolds took a two-out walk.
Geneseo then changed up pitchers, calling senior Lexie Clark to the mound to face leadoff batter Samie Seamon.
Seamon, who had drawn a 14-pitch walk against starting pitcher Bergeson, smacked a 0-1 pitch deep to center to score both Barone and Reynolds and put Antioch up 2-0.
"We're trying to help Olivia," said Seamon, a Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit. "As much as she never gets down on herself, it's nice to help her."
Shortstop and Georgetown recruit Allie Anttilla made it a 3-0 lead when she sent a 1-1 pitch from Clark over the 220-foot left-field wall for a solo shot. The homer was her 12th of the year and adds to Antioch's state record 48 home runs on the season.
"We deserved (the supersectional championship) this year," Anttilla said. "We're not stopping - expect us to be in the championship game."