Forget the MVP award. Not fancy enough.
Lincoln-Way East senior Danielle Stewart was the Class 4A Sandburg Sectional Superstar.
On Tuesday, the Northern Illinois recruit threw a one-hitter and drove in the winning run against Shepard.
On Friday, she threw a two-hitter and drove in the winning run against Lincoln-Way Central.
“Honestly, this is probably the best I’ve played all season,” Stewart said. “I’m just trying to live in the moment.”
After the Griffins’ 3-0 victory over the Knights in the sectional final, she’ll have a chance for more.
Stewart struck out eight during yet another ace performance. At the plate, she also had an RBI single and a solo home run.
Indiana commit Chloe Geijer added two hits for Lincoln-Way East (27-2). Texas recruit Maddie Pomykalski had an RBI single.
Lyndsey Grein singled and Josephine Jager doubled for Lincoln-Way Central (25-4-1).
The Griffins will play against host Marist (28-5-1) in the supersectional at 4:30 p.m. Monday for the chance at a trip to state.
Stewart hasn’t exactly been a two-game sensation for the Griffins, either.
For the season, she’s hitting .463 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs. As a pitcher, the right-handed Stewart (14-0) has 146 strikeouts and a 1.10 ERA in 89 innings.
“I love being on both sides,” Stewart said. “Being a pitcher and hitting for myself, not only is it helping myself, it’s helping the whole team out.
“I try to spark some fire in everybody else so we can pass the bat and have those long innings.”
The matchup against Lincoln-Way Central for the sectional title brought deep feelings. Last season, the Knights beat the Griffins to advance to the Elite Eight.
Lincoln-Way Central eventually finished second in the state to Marist.
A little jealous?
“I was, I was,” Stewart said with a smile. “They’re a great team. I was so happy we got a chance to play them again in this game.
“But really, we were trying to play for ourselves. We knew we wanted to win this game. We know we want to go to state. We know we can go far.”
Stewart got Lincoln-Way East rolling in the bottom of the first inning with a soft liner for an RBI single to right that scored her sister, Katie.
In the fourth, Stewart hit a leadoff rocket that cleared the fence in right-center by plenty. Two outs later, Maddy Hickey drove a double to left and scored on Pomykalski’s hit.
So Stewart didn’t do it all.
“Oh, she does do everything,” Pomykalski said, laughing. “She’s amazing. She is one of the best players I’ve ever seen. It’s so much fun to play with her.”
For Pomykalski, just playing has been bliss.
She was hit twice by pitches during an April 21 game against Lincoln-Way West.
“I got hit on my (left) wrist my first at-bat,” Pomykalski said. “In my third at-bat, I got hit in the hand. The first one, honestly, hurt worse. But the second one shattered it.”
The diagnosis was being out five to six weeks.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be back,” Pomykalski said. “It was kind of a rushed process. The doctor didn’t think I’d be back until summer.
“That was discouraging. But I was like, ‘I want to get back for postseason.’ It’s my senior year and I know this team is special.”
Pomykalski returned in the regional championship game against Homewood-Flossmoor. In her first at-bat, she hit a three-run homer.
Friday brought another clutch contribution.
“I was a little nervous because I knew she was going to come in,” Pomykalski said. “I heard the catcher move and I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to back off a little bit.’ It felt really good to hit it.”
The loss marked the end of Grein’s standout career for Lincoln-Way Central. Despite a tough day in the circle, the Virginia Tech recruit reached base twice.
“If there’s something I’ve had to teach myself over the years, it’s not all about winning,” Grein said. “Sometimes, you learn more lessons by losing.
“That’s something I’ll be able to take into the future, whether it’s softball or life. There has been a lot of joy this season with everyone on this team. If I can pick up those moments and take them into future relationships, I’ll be OK.”
