Softball: Prospect downs Stevenson for regional title
Heading into its second game of the Class 4A state playoffs against Stevenson, Prospect's softball team had not won a regional since 2007.
That all changed on Thursday, just like third baseman Kathryn Keehn's swing of the bat helped change the momentum.
Playing her final game as a junior on the Prospect diamond, Keehn smacked a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for a 2-run homer in the bottom of the first and the No. 3 -seeded Knights (18-10) never trailed in an 8-2 win over the No. 6 Patriots (12-7).
Prospect will head to Gurnee on Tuesday to face No. 2 Warren in a sectional semifinal.
"I had a good feeling once we scored in the first inning," said Knights fifth-year coach Krystina Mackowiak. "Three years ago we also led most of the way (in a regional final) and then we lost. So it was nice to close this one out."
Mackowiak didn't need a closer, as sophomore Riley Depa (11-5) hurled a complete game.
The right-hander gave credit to her riseball, curveball, defense and catcher Rachael Sasanuma in helping Prospect post its tenth regional championship.
"That's actually crazy to me," said Depa (2-for-4 at the plate) about the first regional in 14 years. " Now we've just got to get ready for Tuesday."
The Knights were ready at the outset on Thursday.
Second baseman Carley Jagiello started the bottom of the first by reaching on an error and taking second on a passed ball. Keehn then hit her big blast.
No. 3 hitter Erin Pinter, a sophomore shortstop, followed with single to center and two batters later her sister Amanda, a senior, collected a one-out RBI double to right-center for a 3-0 cushion.
The Pinter sisters combined for the Knights' fourth run, too, in the third inning. Amanda's one-out infield single brought home Erin, who had led off the inning with a double to center.
"It feels great," Amanda Pinter said about the regional crown. "I'm really proud of everything we've done this year and I feel we can keep going forward. I couldn't have asked for more in our last home game."
Haley Barnes doubled and came home on Lexi Gitler's infield single for Stevenson's first run in the top of the fourth.
Prospect answered with two more in the bottom of the inning.
Emma Muehlenbeck led off with a double to left and advanced to third on Jagiello's single to left. Keehn then reached on an error, allowing a run to score, and a second was produced by Depa's sharp single to center for a 6-1 lead.
Elle Ruchim, who went 2-for-3 from the No. 2 spot for Stevenson, crushed a 2-out homer to left in the fifth before Jagiello made a diving catch to rob Michaela Duffy of an infield single.
The Knights' final 2 runs came on Keehn's sacrifice fly in the sixth and Ashley Simon's RBI single to right in the seventh.
"This is one of the hardest-working groups I've had and they are more than deserving (of the regional title)," Mackowiak said. "I'm so proud of them. Kathryn's first homer of the season was awesome and kind of set the tone for the offense and I think rattled them a little. All around, I thought we played phenomenally. Riley did amazing on the mound, keeping them off balance most of the game which was awesome."
Barnes (2-for-3) had 2 doubles from the cleanup spot while Gitler was also 2-for-3 with a leadoff double in the third and a sharp lineout to Simon at first.
"Lots of credit goes to Prospect," said Stevenson coach Bill McNamara. "They played a consistent seven innings. We knew it was going to be that type of a ballgame and I'm really proud of how our kids battled. They continued to fight, compete and put the ball in play. But it was one of those days where everything we hit was right at them.
"We just couldn't string together multiple hits and that's something we did pretty well all season. And the same with the defense and pitching. You've got to be consistent in all three phases to win championships and we just fell a little short today."