Powerful finish for Antioch in state 3A third-place softball game
EAST PEORIA - The talk among the Antioch Sequoits before Saturday's Class 3A third-place state softball game was about showing everyone why they got down here in the first place.
"I thought we played fairly poorly Friday (in a 2-1 loss to Metamora in the semifinals)," said Antioch coach Jeff Tylka. "We wanted to show why we set some records this season."
Did they ever at the EastSide Centre.
Senior third baseman Lauren Moore and senior shortstop Allie Anttila not only combined for 3 home runs, giving the Sequoits a state-record 51 this season, but they both had grand slams in their final high school at-bats to cap a 13-1 victory over Breese Mater Dei (24-12).
Moore belted a solo shot in the fourth inning, then sent a grand slam over the center-field fence ignite the Sequoits' 10-run seventh inning.
Six batters later in the same inning, Anttila followed with her grand slam (team-high 13th homer of the season). The left-field blast gave the Sequoits a state record 7 grand slams for the season.
"I had the opportunity and I wanted to do something big in my last high school at-bat," said Anttila (3-for-5, 6 RBI), who will swing her bat for Georgetown next season. "We were really upset after our (semifinal) loss, but we wanted to stay positive and win our last game. And we did it."
Moore finished 2-for-5 with 5 RBI.
"Everyone told each other we couldn't have asked for a better way to end our high school careers," said Moore, a Loyola recruit who belted her sixth and seventh homers. "I love all my teammates."
Tylka loved the way his second team at Antioch was just that - a team.
"And it was great we had the opportunity to get another senior (Megan Petty, who reached on an error and scored) into the game," he said. "She didn't get to play much but she really kept me in control this season, just helping out with a lot of little things. It was great to get her into the game."
Junior Olivia Duehr, a Northwestern recruit who went 3-for-5 at the plate, also tossed a 4-hitter with 6 strikeouts and no walks to finish the season at 21-6.
The Sequoits tied their school record of 32 wins for a single season, set by last year's 32-3 team.
Jess Liszka (2-for-4) and Cat Dinklenburg (2-for-4, 2 doubles) were other multiple hitters for Antioch on Saturday, while teammates Samie Seamon (double) and Sam Kozenski each had 1 hit for the winners.
"I thought our bats in the seventh inning (were great)," said second-year coach Tylka, who is now 64-9 in two seasons.
And those bats ended a great Antioch season, the first in school history to make it to the state finals.