Everyone at the EastSide Centre watched in disbelief as the popup slowly descended toward Lincoln-Way East shortstop Darcy Sengewald’s glove.
The final out on Saturday completed one of the most amazing stories in high school sports as Lincoln-Way East’s first-year softball team upset defending champion Normal 4-3 and scored more runs in seven innings than All-State pitcher Ali Arnold had given up all season.
“All I could think of was fundamentals, look the ball into the glove,” Sengewald said. “It’s extraordinary.”
This hearty collection of underclassmen with a starting lineup featuring three freshmen and two sophomores confounded all the textbook rationale in reaching the pinnacle of the high school season, scoring four unearned runs and slapping six hits against the most dominant pitcher in the state.
“It’s like a dream,” said starting pitcher Emily Rizzuto, her face covered in tears of joy. “It’s all of our dreams, and we made it come true. Just amazing.”
Lincoln-Way East coach Aimee Lonigro opted not to pitch ace Lindsey Laas because her style is similar to that of Sandburg ace Brittany McIntyre, who had pitched 14 innings in a 1-0 semifinal loss to Normal on Saturday afternoon. Rizzuto hadn’t thrown a pitch this weekend until the title game.
“Since Normal had face Brittany five or six times, I wanted to try something different,” Lonigro said. “I was wavering on the decision. Thank goodness my assistants convinced me to go with my gut instinct.”
Normal (34-3) jumped in front 2-0 with a run in the first and another in the third. Arnold (25-2) had come into the title game with a string of 97 scoreless innings and 14 consecutive shutouts and had allowed just three runs, one earned.
Somehow, that didn’t discourage the Griffins. They tied the game in the fifth on an error, Rizzuto’s RBI double and another error that allowed Rizzuto to score.
“No matter what, this was something nobody thought we could do,” Laas said. “After a while, it was a feeling like: `Oh my God, we’re going to win again.”‘
In another unusual move, Lonigro brought on sophomore pitcher Meagan Shimkus in relief in the bottom of the sixth. Normal catcher Katie Bradley singled and pinch-runner Mary Godley advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Sengewald’s throwing error for a 3-2 lead.
Just as Normal’s fans got ready to celebrate a repeat championship, the unpredictable Griffins did it again.
Rizzuto led off the top of the seventh with a hit and was replaced by pinch-runner Katy Dammer. After a groundout, No. 9 batter Jill Castiglia singled.
Sengewald squeeze-bunted, and Normal first baseman Lauren Mutari’s errant throw home allowed Dammer to score. After Tara Miller grounded out to Arnold, catcher Lauren von Holst hit a grounder that third baseman Shannon Kennedy bobbled. Von Holst beat the throw and Castiglia scored the winning run.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Lonigro said about her 23-11 team that finished fifth in the SICA West during the regular season. “We knew we were facing the best pitcher in the state.
“This is just unbelievable.”
