Softball: Goodwin, Barrington repeat super win over Warren

The Barrington softball supersectional is a long-standing tradition at the Field of Dreams.

Even more special this spring was that it was being contested on the newly remodeled facility, including artificial carpet and a large video scoreboard.

While the atmosphere differed, the two teams were the same from a year ago and so was the final result.

Barrington ace and Princeton pledge Allie Goodwin (23-5) defeated Warren for the second straight season in the Elite Eight game, this time with a 9-1 triumph that advanced the Fillies to the state finals for the 12th time in program history.

Barrington (35-5) will face highly-regarded Marist (36-2) at the Louisville Slugger in Peoria at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Redhawks have hit nearly 90 homers this spring and defeated Barrington in April.

"Now you're going against the greatest home run hitting team in IHSA history," Peterson said. "We used to be that when we went to state in 2013 and didn't hit one. So we have to focus in and do our job."

The Fillies got the job done on Monday before an overflow crowd including former Barrington standout Kendall Peterson and a few of her Big Ten champion Northwestern softball teammates,

"There's a connection there because Ainsley (Muno, Barrington first baseman) is going to (Northwestern)," Peterson said. "They wanted to support Ainsley, and you couldn't have a nicer kid. That was nice to see."

Kaitlyn Weidemann belted the second pitch of the game over the center field fence to give Warren (26-6) a quick 1-0 advantage.

"Even after that home run, I just knew we needed to bounce back because I knew we were going to score more than one run," said Goodwin, who became the third pitcher at Barrington to win back-to-back supersectional games. "I gave up that homer but knew I felt good on the mound and in warmups and I was just waiting to show that the rest of the game."

The Barrington ace then got a groundout to third baseman Reese Cullen and three straight strikeouts (one was a dropped third in which the runner was safe at first) to end the inning.

The Fillies answered right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring 3 runs on 1 hit.

Catcher Emma Kavanagh and first baseman Ainsley Muno each crossed the plate when Lexi Thomas reached on an infield error. Cullen then drove a single to left, scoring Thomas to make it 3-1.

Barrington extended the lead to 6-1 by getting 3 hits in the second inning, including a 2-run line drive double to right center by Kavanagh and a two-out RBI double by Thomas to left, scoring Kavanagh.

Kavanagh, who missed Barrington's sectional title win over Huntley Saturday due to illness, came back with a 2-for-3 performance with 2 RBI. She also picked a runner off first base in the second inning.

"Emma was great tonight," Peterson said. "She called a great game."

Also going 2-for-3 were teammates Mimi Cline and Cullen.

The hosts added their final 3 runs in the sixth, getting a leadoff homer from Cline and a 2-run one-out single by Cullen to make it 9-1.

Weidemann led the Blue Devils' offense going 2-for-3 with a walk. Teammates Katelyn Siurek and Gabi Olavarria had the other hits.

"We had an opportunity with the bases loaded and one out (fifth inning) but did not produce," said Warren coach Jenna Charbonneau, who had led her Blue Devils to nine straight regional crowns. "Obviously we started out real hot with Kaitlyn's home run. That gave us some juice but then we just couldn't produce after that."

Charbonneau graduates 11 players, the most in her nine seasons.

"We told the girls they definitely left the program better than they found it with two sectional championships and three regionals," she said. "We told them they're part of a legacy we hope to continue. We're going to miss them. They're great kids. They're tough kids. They're competitors. And they've really brought a ton to this program the last four years."