Lincoln-Way East softball rallies past Providence to reach sectional final

LOCKPORT – Rarely does a softball player admit to be going to the plate and only thinking of hitting a home run, but that’s what Lincoln-Way East senior Nicole O’Donnell was thinking.

And the senior did just that in the Griffins’ 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Providence Catholic in Wednesday’s Class 3A Lockport Sectional semifinal game.

East (24-7) now will take on the winner of today’s 4:30 p.m. matchup between Homewood-Flossmoor and Plainfield Central in Saturday’s 11 a.m. championship.

“I was thinking going to the plate that I need a home run,” said O’Donnell of her third round-tripper of the season. “It was the sixth inning. We needed runs; it was getting late. I didn’t know it was gone. I was just running, then I heard everyone.”

With the Griffins trailing 2-0 going to the top of the sixth, Marina Esparza reached base with one out on a walk by Celtics pitcher Kendal Judge. Then with two outs, after a fielders choice, Lauren Herlihy coaxed another walk from Judge, which set up the dramatics for O’Donnell.

The three-run blast over the left center-field fence never was in doubt when it left the bat.

“I was looking fastball on the 1-0 count and that is what I got,” O’Donnell said. “My coaches have been really working with me on my hitting. I give them all the credit.”

“Right now, it is just one game at a time. No reason to look ahead. We have a great team and we are together.”

Providence (29-7) scored a single run in the second on an RBI single by Taylor Amato that brought home Judge, who singled to lead off the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Celtics catcher Jessica Cothern led off with a homer to go up 2-0 against Griffins starter Esparza.

After a double by the Celtics’ Jessica Miklos that followed Cothern’s homer, freshman Amanda Wehy relieved Esparza for the Griffins and shut down the Celtics the rest of the way.

Wehy pitched 42/3 innings, giving up only two hits, while striking out four.

“Marina did a great job for us,” Wehy said. “Providence is a really good hitting team. I’ll admit I was very nervous going into the game. We have a very good defense and they make the plays. I’m nervous and this season has been hard being a freshman, but we have such a great team. It’s also fun.”

Judge went the distance for the Celtics, giving up only four hits. Five base on balls, a hit by pitch and a couple of errors were the ultimate undoing of the Celtics, however.

“We were in total control of that game,” said a disappointed Celtics coach Jay Biesterfeld. “We had some missed opportunities early that would have really put them in the hole. We battled every inning and I thought played well. The walks, a few bad calls and that is the game.”

The Celtics had seven hits on the day, all by different players, and had runners on base every inning, except the fifth.

The Griffins put the pressure on Providence by getting runners to second base in every inning, except the fifth, before the dramatic sixth inning.

Christine Malito had a sacrifice fly RBI in the seventh after Caroline Ward led off the inning by reaching on an error.

“Nicole has worked very hard on her hitting this year,” Griffins coach Elizabeth Pawlicki said. “She is really becoming a smart hitter. We just needed her to put the ball in play in that situation and I guess she did.

“Amanda is so very poised for a freshman. She has done a great job this season. That was a pressure situation and she just went out and did her job. All of our young kids are still learning the game.”