Softball: Elizabeth Welch, Glenbard North stun St. Charles East with seventh-inning rally

ST. CHARLES – Glenbard North has established a reputation for being a comeback team, however unlikely one might seem.

A big chapter was added to that Tuesday.

The sixth-seeded Panthers scored four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh, and went on to stun top-seeded St. Charles East 5-4 in the Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional semifinal.

[ Photos: Glenbard North vs. St. Charles East ]

Glenbard North (17-7), which has knocked off Fremd and St. Charles East on their respective home fields the last two games in what has become a surging postseason, moves on to face the St. Charles North-Lake Park winner in Friday’s sectional final.

“It’s the never quit method,” Panthers coach Josh Sanew said. “They just hang in there. You look, and you’re off a great pitcher [Saints ace Izzy] Howe there in that last inning. You had kids come up and have huge hits, especially with two strikes. That’s the thing, you get two strike hits off of that…the whole thing is never quit with this team.”

“It happened to us in the regional championship [against Fremd]. We had a three-run homer in the seventh,” Sanew continued. “…Up there battling and working hard. And,you’ll notice those kids fouled off a couple good pitches that she threw and then they were able to get their bat on one.”

Brigid Rogers reached on a one out single to start the seventh-inning rally. After Lucy Rogers struck out, Isabella Eggert smacked a single to move Rogers to third. With Tru Medina at the plate, a wild pitch from Howe allowed enough time for Rogers to motor home for their second run.

Medina then poked an RBI single to left field to suddenly make it a one run game, setting the stage for Elizabeth Welch.

With two strikes, Welch struck a two-run go-ahead two-run home run to cap off the furious rally.

“We’ve done this three times already this year,” said Welch, the Panthers junior catcher. “We’ve come back from literally anything so we all just had each other’s back and we knew we didn’t want to lose this game.”

“I was hoping [the next offering] was going to be a strike,” Welch continued. “It was right in my zone.”

The Saints (25-7) still had one more chance to tie it in the bottom of the seventh.

Abby Arend popped out in foul territory on Elli Matzke’s first pitch, but Stephanie Schnite followed with a walk. Nikki Johnston popped out and Sam Gaca was awarded first base on a hit by pitch.

With runners at first and second, Howe smoked a hot grounder to third, but Schnite was tagged on the force out to end it.

Matzke, the Panthers’ ace, surrendered four runs in the first inning, but kept the Saints’ bats frosty cold for the rest of the way. Matzke allowed just one hit the remaining six innings. In the sixth, Chloe Hild reached on an error.

Matzke finished her complete game effort surrendering just five hits, four runs (two earned) and four strikeouts. Howe surrendered nine hits and five runs, but struck out 11.

“[Matzke has] worked hard all year,” Welch said. “This is probably one of her best outings all year, and just moving in-and-out, high-and-low, keeping them on their toes, they just couldn’t put a good swing on a ball.”

“You’ve got to tip your hat to [Matzke]. You give up four runs in the first inning – two really they should’ve had – we gave them two free ones,” Sanew said. “It’s a big difference when you go down 4-0 vs. 2-0. And, then, your pitcher is able to hold them for the next six innings, which is huge because that keeps us with a little bit of life.”

The Saints, meanwhile, gathered as a team with their arms draped across each other’s back before leaving the field.

“[Howe] well for us today and she pitched well all season long,” Saints coach Jarod Gutesha said. “Our kids, it’s disappointing for them. I feel for them. I say it over and over, but all the hard work they put in, the time and energy, they bring it. So, it’s disappointing for them because you want to win as many [games] in the postseason as possible.”

“We fell, obviously, a little short today, but definitely proud of the kids,” Gutesha continued. “They came out and played…[Matzke] settled in and we didn’t add. It would’ve been nice to add, for sure, but we didn’t.”