Softball: Comets earn first state softball berth

DEKALB – Rhyanna Hadden will never have a sweeter snow cone in her entire life.

She and her Newman softball teammates will be hard pressed to have any sweeter result when it comes to athletics than what they accomplished on Monday afternoon.

The Comets took advantage of a mistake-prone Princeville squad and broke through with three runs in the top of the 11th on the way to a 5-2 victory at the 1A DeKalb Supersectional. Newman has won 13 consecutive games.

Next up for the Comets is the state tournament, where it will take on Somonauk, a 5-3 winner against Heyworth in the Bloomington Supersectional, on Friday in East Peoria. It will be the Newman’s first appearance at state in softball.

“This is just great,” senior third baseman Jenna Stevens said. “We’ve never been here before, it’s a first for us, and it’s just really exciting. We’re all so happy right now.”

Hadden put the finishing touches on the win for Newman (20-9), with a running catch in left-center field. The ball caught the top of the webbing in her glove, but stuck in there to set off a wild celebration by the Comets.

“I was little bit nervous the whole game,” Hadden said, “but it’s my job to defend anything out there, and that was my ball. I had to make sure I did everything in my power to get that ball. There was no way it was coming out.”

With the teams knotted at 2-2 through 10 innings, the Comets were able to break through in the 11th. Grace Ely led off by reaching on an error, when Princeville first baseman Madison Roe dropped a throw from second baseman Natalie Cokel. Julie Hurd then drew a walk, a play that chased Princeville starter Jordan Kraft.

Reliever Paige Lane uncorked a wild pitch on her first offering, moving Ely and Hurd up a base.

The next batter, Mady Ferris, hit a grounder to Princeville shortstop Brooke Gardner, who elected to go home on the play to try and get Ely. The throw was late and wild, allowing Ely and Hurd to score and put the Comets up 4-2.

Lakyn Waldschmidt later brought in Ferris with an infield single, and the Comets had a three-run cushion.

Princeville (29-8) loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th, due mainly to a pair of Newman errors. Representing the potential winning run, Cokel hit a fly ball to left center that was flagged down by Hadden for the final out.

Newman had six hits, and none of them were bigger than a two-out double by Stevens in the top of the sixth. The shot to center field brought Hurd around from first base and knotted the score at 2-2.

“I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well prior to this,” Stevens said, “and that pitch was just right down the middle. I had to take it. It was a nice pitch to hit.”

Newman flip-flopped its pitching routine. Sam Miller normally comes on in relief, but got the start and was effective. She allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Lakyn Waldschmidt came on with a runner on first and nobody out in the sixth, got out of that jam, and held the Princes at bay the rest of the way.

“I always have Sam’s back when she starts,” Waldschmidt said, “and I know she does the same for me when I start.”

Princeville hurt itself with numerous base running gaffes, the most costly of which came in the fourth inning. Chelsea Gardner led off with a walk, Lane had a bunt single, and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch by Miller.

The next batter, Jessica DeVries, hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Gardner, but Lane was called out by tagging up too early from second base. Princeville was left with a 2-1 lead, but in the end, needed more.

“The bottom line was about execution,” Princeville coach Chad Gardner said. “In my speech at the beginning of the year, you win ballgames and you lose ballgames on base running. We lost a ballgame today on base running. I’m proud of my kids and I’m proud of my coaching staff for all they’ve done, but base running was the name of the game today.”

Newman scored the first run of the game when Ferris smacked a one-out triple in the top of the first. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Stevens.

Star of the game: Lakyn Waldschmidt, Newman, 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 SO

Key performers: Jenna Stevens, Newman, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Julie Hurd, Newman, 2 runs; Jordan Kraft, Princeville, 10 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 14 SO, 2 BB

Up next: 1A state tournament, Newman vs. Somonauk, 12:30 p.m. Friday in East Peoria