Regina Glover, defense lead Plainfield South past Coal City

PLAINFIELD – Like any pitcher, Plainfield South‘s Regina Glover was quick to give credit to her defense after Thursday’s 9-3 win over Coal City.

Glover had good reason to praise the players behind her in the field, as the Cougars turned in several defensive gems en route to the victory.

Third baseman Katie Beu was particularly magnificent with her glove, snaring three line drives and turning one of those into a double play. Left fielder Peyton Isaacson made a couple of nice running catches for the Cougars (4-5), including the last out of the game in which she ranged far into left-center field and tracked down a long drive by Coal City’s D’Arcy Ness with the bases loaded.

“The defense was great tonight,” said Glover, who surrendered only four hits and struck out three in the complete-game victory. “Katie at third was super good.

“It helped me when we got a lead early. That let me just go out and throw strikes and let the defense work.”

After a scoreless first inning, Coal City (8-5) got on the board in the top of the second when Julianna Covington, who walked, scored on South’s only error of the game.

The Cougars got the offense going in the bottom of the third, scoring four times. A fielder’s choice grounder by Ava Forsberg scored a run before a sacrifice fly by Kendal Pasquale plated Gianna Zumdahl for a 2-1 lead. Glover then delivered a two-run double, scoring Hailie Boardman, who walked, and Forsberg, for a 4-1 advantage.

Glover faced only nine hitters in the third, fourth and fifth innings, as the only base runner was erased on a double play that started with Beu snagging a line drive and then firing to first to double the runner off. In the sixth, Khloe Picard led off with a single for the Coalers, but Glover retired the next three to make it 12 of 13 retired at that point.

Meanwhile, the Cougars continued to add to the lead. Isaacson hit an RBI single in the fourth to score Beu, who led off with a walk and went to third on a double by Sydney Unyi (2 for 2, 2 doubles, RBI). South scored twice more in the fifth. Pasquale led off with a double, her second of the game, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beu.

Unyi then doubled in Gracie Semega, who had reached on an error, for a 7-1 lead. In the sixth, Boardman led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a single by Forsberg. Forsberg later scored on a sacrifice fly by Semega.

“Our goal is to score a run an inning,” South coach Taylor Schwall said. “After we didn’t score in the first couple, that four-run inning was big. Then we kept adding on, which was nice to see.

“Our defense was stellar tonight. Doing the little things like playing good defense is something we want to do. Regina pitched great, and also got a real big hit for us. Anyone one through nine in our lineup can do damage and we have all the confidence in whoever is at bat.”

Kaycee Graf had two hits for Coal City, which had beaten Illinois Central Eight rival Peotone and Louisville-bound Sophia Klawitter on Monday and Tuesday, while Picard and Addison Hodgen (double) had the other hits.

“This was just one of those days,” Coal City coach Rodney Monbrum said. “D’Arcy Ness was robbed by the third baseman twice, and that last ball she hit, on almost any other day, it’s a grand slam. That’s softball sometimes.

“But we had a couple of innings where we gave them an extra out, and they capitalized on it. We came out a little flat and just couldn’t get going. We’ll learn from it and bounce back.”