The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Michael Rodeffer, The Quill
In Regional Softball Illini West Girls Outlast Macomb In Eleven Innings
Macomb took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Lauren Bishop had a bunt single, advanced to second and third on a ground out and scored on a ground out by Olivia Whitney.
Macomb would score 1 run in the 4th. Kendyl Danner would walk and advance to 2nd and 3rd on 2 bunt outs. Kinley Sloan would single home Danner.
Illini West could only manage a bunt single by Ella Shutwell through 4 innings.
In the 5th inning Karsyn Bliss would single, Ella Shutwell would bunt to third and an errant throw would give the Chargers runners on 1st and 2nd base.
Natalie Wibbell would walk to load the bases. Olivia Johnson would single in Bliss. Ella Shutwell would score on a wild pitch and a few pitches later Wibbell would also score on a wild pitch to give Illini West a 3-2 lead.
Macomb would come right back in the sixth inning to take the lead. Kendyl Danner would get on base by way of an error.
Nika Daytner would get a bunt single and freshman Josie Elbe would double home both runners.
Illini West would tie the game in the 6th inning. Kate DeSotel would lead off with a single. Hayden Wibbell would come in to run for DeSotel.
Wibbell would get to second on a wild pitch. Lexis Carle would lay down a sacrifice bunt to get Wibbell to third. Kennedy Gunning would drive home Wibbell with a single to tie the game.
Both teams went 3 up and 3 down in the 7th inning. Macomb hit 3 fly balls to the outfield that were all caught in the eighth inning.
In the eighth inning Illini West’s Kennedy Gunning would get a one out single and steal second. Ella Shutwell would get hit by a pitch to reach first. Both runners were stranded after a ground out.
In the ninth inning Macomb would put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs after a walk to Raegan Knowles and a single by Lauren Bishop. Illini West pitcher, Hattie Wood, would get a strike out for the 3rd out to end the Macomb inning.
In the Chargers ninth inning Olivia Johnson would double and get to 3rd on a single by Corin Robinson.
AJ Cook would ground to the Macomb pitcher who was able to get Johnson in a run down between 3rd and home and tag out Johnson.
With Robinson on second and AJ Cook on first Macomb got a strike out and ground out to end the inning. Score still tied at 4-4.
In the tenth inning Macomb hit 3 fly balls to the outfield but all were caught.
Illini West’s Kennedy Gunning started off the bottom of the 10th with a single. Gunning stole 2nd and 3rd base, but was left stranded on base.
In the top of the 11th, Kinley Sloan would get a one out single. Macomb’s Raegan Knowles would put a nice bunt down to sacrifice Sloan to second.
Illini West’s catcher, Corin Robinson, made a great play to throw out Knowles at first. It was the 3rd Macomb bunt that Robinson was able to get and throw out a Macomb player at first. A fly-out would end the inning for Macomb.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, Olivia Johnson collected her 3rd hit of the game with a single. Ava Shutwell came in to run for Johnson. An error on a ground ball hit by Corin Robinson put 2 runners on base.
AJ Cook would get a single to load the bases with no one out. After an Illini West strikeout, Lexis Carle would get a hard hit to Macomb short stop that got through her to end the game 5-4 in Illini West favor.
Illini West will play Williamsville in the regional semifinal game at Carthage Wednesday at 4:00.
Illini West was led by Olivia Johnson and Kennedy Gunning with 3 hits each and each had a RBI. Ella Shutwell had 2 hits and was on base 4 times. Karsyn Bliss, Natalie Wibbell, Corin Robinson, and Kate DeSotel each collected one hit. Kennedy Gunning had 4 stolen bases.
Hattie Wood was the winning pitcher for Illini West. Wood pitched all 11 innings, allowing 2 earned runs, 8 hits, and striking out 10 batters, and walking 3. Wood threw 158 pitches, 113 pitches for strikes.
For Macomb Lauren Bishop was 3 for 4 plus a walk and scored once.
Kendyl Danner scored twice reaching base by error and a walk. Kinley Sloan pitched the first 5 innings, giving up 3 runs, two which were earned and struck out 9 batters.
Sloan also had 2 hits in 5 at bats and a RBI. Josie Elbe had one hit, a double, and 2 RBIs and a sacrifice bunt. Lauren Schmelshof and Nika Daytner had one hit each.
Kendyl Danner pitched the last 6 innings for Macomb, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, struck out 8, allowed 10 hits, walked none and hit 1 batter.