Randy Hayslett didn’t need to be reminded how tenuous a one-run lead can be, especially in the one-and-done playoffs.
“I was worried,” the West Aurora softball coach said, watching innings roll by and his team clinging to a precarious 1-0 lead after four in their regional semifinal at home against 18th-seeded Oswego East.
“We only put up one run and I was thinking, ‘We should’ve had three by now.’ I told one of my assistants a couple times to take my blood pressure because I didn’t like the way it was going.”
His team had run itself out of one scoring opportunity and failed to capitalize on another when a runner failed to tag at third with one out on a spectacular diving catch by Oswego East center fielder Rachel Johnson.
The second-seeded Blackhawks got untracked in the fifth, however, erupting for three runs and going on to claim a 6-1 decision.
West Aurora (27-8) advances to the 11 a.m. Saturday championship game against ninth-seeded Naperville North (19-14), which prevailed 4-3 over seventh-seeded Geneva (23-9) in Thursday’s second semifinal.
“When we we get up by three or four, we’re pretty good,” Hayslett said. “I think we’re 25-1 when we score four or more runs and I don’t think we’ve lost this year or last with (sophomore) Hannah (Beatus) pitching when we’ve score four or more.”
Beatus (17-5) threw a masterful seven-hitter with eight strikeouts to stymie Oswego East (11-19).
Kaitlyn Webb’s double and losing pitcher Emily Schultz’s single, sandwiched around a strikeout, had Beatus in a jam in the top of the fifth, especially when Schultz moved up to second on a throw home that kept Webb from scoring.
Beatus buckled down and struck out the Wolves’ Nos. 2 and 3 hitters to preserve her shutout.
“She pitched out of a couple of jams and got a couple key strikeouts when we needed them,” Hayslett said. “Thankfully, she shut them down. You’re up 1-0 and all of a sudden you can be down 2-1 and momentum turns. You never know what happens in regional play.
“I was shocked to hear (Wednesday) that (third-seeded) Waubonsie Valley had lost. It could’ve happened here if Hannah hadn’t gotten out of those jams. Oswego East has some hitters.”
Wolves coach Laura Nissle couldn’t complain about her young team’s effort.
“We just didn’t bring in the runs when we had the opportunity,” she said.
Oswego East stranded eight runners, seven in scoring position.
Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Taylor Podschweit went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple to key the Blackhawks’ 11-hit attack that included two hits each from Beatus and Cara Jimenez in the Nos. 2-3 slots in the order.
Hayslett’s top four hitters — including Carley Frauenhoff — were a combined 8-for-11 with five runs and three RBIs and No. 5 hitter Kendall Podschweit had a two-run single to key the rally in the fifth.
Rylie Porretto homered in the second for Geneva, but the Vikings trailed 4-1 before scoring twice in the fifth on an error and Emily Plocinski’s RBI single.
Geneva loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth but couldn’t push the tying run across and stranded eight runners.
“We were playing catch up all day,” Geneva coach Greg Dierks said. “I thought we had a good approach at the plate and hit some balls hard that they just seemed to be there to make a play on.”
Twitter: @RickArmstrong28
