Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning Saturday in a Class AA East Aurora softball sectional semifinal, No. 8 Providence didn’t panic.
The Celtics quietly and confidently awaited their chance at glory. Taking advantage of a critical Downers Grove South throwing error, Providence parlayed four hits, a walk and the errant throw into the four-run inning to take control. The Celtics then held off a late Downers rally to beat the Mustangs 5-4.
The Celtics (31-8) will have to wait on their opponent, as the second semifinal, featuring top-ranked Lockport vs. Waubonsie Valley, was postponed in the bottom of the second with Waubonsie leading 1-0. The game will resume Monday. Downers finished 26-12.
In its half of the fifth, after run-scoring singles by Kelly Anast (2 for 3, one run batted in) and Dana Jakusz tied the score at 2-2, Providence went up for good when senior Sara Steinbach smashed a two-run double into the alley in right-center. The Celtics received an insurance run in the sixth when Anast singled and scored on Laura Cannizzo’s double.
The run was critical, because Downers starting pitcher Sarah Tablor (19-7) narrowed the margin with a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the seventh. But Theresa Tierney (21-5) had enough left, striking out Sarah Mayer to end the game.
“I was really nervous early in the game. My arm was really shot,” Tierney said. “We’ve been a comeback team the whole year. I knew we’d get some hits.”
Other softball sectionals:
St. Charles: Loyola outlasted Elk Grove 3-2 in eight innings to advance to Tuesday’s title game. After Elk Grove (22-11) tied the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Loyola won it in the eighth as Christine Favia knocked in Kim Cummings with the winning run.
Cummings led off the eighth with a single and moved to second on pitcher Maral Binnebose’s single.
Binnebose (18-6) went the distance for the Ramblers (24-12), striking out nine.
The semifinal between York and Lake Park will be played Monday.
DeKalb: No. 5 Morris edged Rock Island 5-3 to reach the sectional final for the third straight year. The Redskins (33-5) used a three-run third to tie the game at 3-3 before going ahead with two runs in the sixth on an RBI triple by Katy Kukman and a sacrifice fly by Amy Barr. Stefanie Steele (16-2), who tossed a four-hitter, keyed the third-inning rally with a run-scoring double.
“It feels great to be going to the final again,” said Morris coach Holly Waldron. “It should be a great game against (Machesney Park) Harlem. They beat us (in the sectional final) last year and we know they have a very strong team, but we’ve been hitting the ball hard and we’ll be ready.”
Harlem beat Freeport 2-1 to advance.
Barrington: Sophomore Robyn Pettinger’s three-run homer in the top of the first lifted Fremd to a 6-1 semifinal victory over Buffalo Grove (26-9). Molly Freeman added a solo home run for the Vikings (26-11) and Courtney Walker threw a three-hitter.
“We hit the ball hard all day,” said Fremd coach Rob Harris. “Pettinger’s homer was huge. It gave us a cushion.”
Fremd will play the victor of the Antioch-Mundelein semifinal, which will be played Monday.
Baseball sectionals
Barrington: The host Broncos (28-11) upended Wauconda 11-2 in a semifinal behind George Allendorph’s two-run homer and Dimas Moreno’s three-run shot. Allendorph, Moreno and Jess Sayre each had three hits.
Wauconda (27-9) trailed just 3-2 in the first with Jeff Gertz’s two-run homer, but Barrington added three runs in the second and four in the fifth to put the game out of reach. John Austin (11-2) gave up five hits, struck out four and walked none for the victory.
Schaumburg and Zion-Benton will play their semifinal Monday.
