Softball: Princeton avenges loss to Mendota in regional opener

PRINCETON – Isa Ibarra and the Princeton Tigresses weren’t too happy when their play in the field helped Mendota rally for 10 runs in the sixth inning two weeks ago, turning a 9-7 lead into a 17-12 loss.

On Monday, they made sure it didn’t happen again.

The Tigresses scored 10 runs on seven hits with only one error en route to a 10-3 win over the Trojans in the Class 2A Princeton Regional quarterfinal at Little Siberia Field.

“It feels great. I actually came into this game with a lot of confidence, and I had a lot of confidence with this team. I knew we could pull it out. We needed to pull it out,” said Princeton senior Isa Ibarra, who went 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Ibarra said they hadn’t forgotten about their loss at Mendota.

“Especially since we were up,” Ibarra said. “We were frustrated with ourselves because we beat ourselves in that game. I guess we learned from it and worked hard in practice to get here today.”

It also was a good bounce-back win from a lackluster 15-5 loss Thursday at St. Bede, which required some soul-searching upon their arrival home.

“We got some things worked out and continued to have confidence in each other, and be able to back up their teammates. It was a completely different team tonight,” Princeton coach Jhavon Hayes said. “We hit up and down the lineup, had timely hitting, and we were stealing and taking extra bases, and that’s what we needed to do. That’s our strength, offense.

“I let them know if you’re making mistakes and not learning, then what’s the point. Just as long as we can learn from our mistakes and not make the same mistakes again, then we’re at least growing. My whole thing, just have fun at this point. It’s going to be whatever it’s going to be. Just have fun doing it.”

“We got some things worked out and continued to have confidence in each other and be able to back up their teammates. It was a completely different team tonight.”

—  Jhavon Hayes, Princeton coach

The Tigresses (7-16) will play top seed and two-time defending state champion Rockridge (31-1) in semifinal play at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“We know about Kendra [pitcher Lewis] and know they’re bringing the heat tomorrow. All we can do is go in with confidence. Got nothing to lose. We’re the underdog. You always want an underdog story there,” Ibarra said.

Princeton broke the game open in the third inning with four runs on just one hit and two Mendota errors to go up 6-1.

Kelsea Klingenberg led off with a walk, Ibarra followed with a double and Sylvie Rutledge brought home Klingenberg on a force out. After two Mendota errors led to two more runs, Samantha Woolley hit a deep sac fly to center to make it 6-1.

The Trojans got two runs back in the fourth inning but ran themselves out of the inning.

Maddie Becker, Ryleigh Sondgeroth and Reanna Brant had consecutive singles, with Brant driving in a run. With one out, Zinke ripped a base hit to right field to score Sondgeroth.

However, Zinke tried to stretch her hit into two bases and was thrown out at second by third baseman Makayla Hecht, who took the throw from Klingenberg, the right fielder. Brant broke for home on the throw to second and was gunned out by Rutledge for an inning-ending double play.

“I know we preach being aggressive, but knowing the score and situations sometimes, it’s not the right time,” Mendota coach Joel Perez said. “I don’t mind aggressive. It might have worked out. Got a late jump over there at third base. If the aggressiveness is there, I don’t mind it at all.

“We had some errors and walks that kind of cost us. But that’s the game of softball.”

Princeton went back to work in the fourth. Hecht drew a lead-off walk from Sondgeroth, who relieved starter Ava Eddy, and scored on a another double by Ibarra to right. Rutledge followed with a RBI double of her own to put the Tigresses ahead 8-3.

In the fifth, Woolley reached on an error and took third on a throwing error. Pitcher Reese Reviglio brought Woolley home with a RBI single, stole second and scored on a RBI double by Hecht.

Becker and Brant each had two hits for Mendota (6-15).

Reviglio picked up the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Eddy, who allowed six runs (two earned) on three hits over three innings, took the loss.

Princeton took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a lead-off hit by Caroline Keutzer, a walk to Klingenberg, a RBI hit by Ibarra and a Mendota error.

* No. 6 Bureau Valley beat No. 11 Hall 18-3 in Monday’s other quarterfinal and will play No. 4 Kewanee on Wednesday in the Princeton Regional semifinals.