Wauconda wins rivalry showdown with Antioch

Even as she basked in victory, more than six weeks after undoubtedly Wauconda's most painful loss of the season, Kayla Wedl couldn't let go of the disappointment.

"It's still with me right now," the ace pitcher said.

At least she was smiling.

And for good reason. Wedl pitched Wauconda into Saturday's Class 3A sectional final at Grayslake Central by shutting out Antioch for the second time in a row, this time 2-0 in the two rivals' sectional semifinal Wednesday.

"Just playing this team gets us going," said Wauconda shortstop Brooke Sefcik, whose 2-run homer in the top of the fifth accounted for the game's only runs. "We don't like them. I don't have anything against the (Antioch) girls. It's just the team. Those (girls) are our rivals."

No. 3 Wauconda (26-11) will play top-seeded Carmel (30-7) at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to Monday's 4:30 p.m. Evanston (Northwestern University) supersectional. Wauconda is seeking its third sectional title in a row.

"I'm looking forward to it," Wedl said of facing a Carmel team that has hit 60 home runs. "Maybe not with this 185 (feet) fence, but we're just going to have to work around it and score early."

Both Wauconda and No. 2 Antioch (26-10) were excited for the teams' sectional semifinal after they split their two games in North Suburban Prairie play. Jill Foote and Ashley Stephens homered off Wedl in the visiting Sequoits' 6-4 win against the defending division champs on April 13, before the Bulldogs avenged the defeat with a 1-0 win at Antioch on May 6.

"There's something about the Antioch-Wauconda (rivalry)," said coach Tim Rennels, whose Bulldogs have beaten the Sequoits seven times in the last eight meetings. "There's no love loss. But there's a lot of respect. (Antioch's players) are fierce competitors."

So is Wedl.

The junior right-hander scattered just 5 hits, including three on bunts and another infield single, in extending her consecutive scoreless-innings streak against Antioch to 16 innings. She struck out 12 and walked one.

"She came back with a little different pitching than we saw the last game," Antioch coach Anthony Rocco said. "She worked the outside more, compared to high. She did a good job of adjusting to us."

The Sequoits were careful when pitching to Wedl, whose 12 homers lead the Bulldogs. After Antioch center fielder Hannah Skoog made a running catch of Paige Motley's line drive leading off the Wauconda fifth, Sequoits starter Stephanie Bonaguidi walked Wedl for the third straight time.

Wedl stole second base and then watched Sefcik belt her 10th home run of the season.

"I was actually going for (just) a hit," Sefcik said. "I don't know why, but I can't ever hit (Bonaguidi)."

Sefcik's homer was a no-doubter, as it easily cleared the 185-feet sign down the left-field line.

"I just kept running," Wedl said. "I didn't even tag."

Antioch didn't quit.

Jessica Tyrell dropped a single into shallow center to start the bottom of the seventh for the Sequoits' first hit to the outfield. But Wedl responded by striking out the next three hitters, all swinging.

"When there are runners on," Wedl said, "that's when I definitely need to hit the corners and not give them as many balls (to hit) as I would when there's nobody on."

Rocco lifted Bonaguidi (4⅓ innings, 5 hits allowed) after Alexandra Steffens (2-for-4) followed Sefcik's homer with a single. Hannah Cook retired the next two batters and didn't allow a hit in the sixth or seventh.

"I'm proud of our defense, and our pitchers hit their spots," Rocco said. "We looked at a couple of strikeouts that we shouldn't have, but we had some opportunities."