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Softball is full of chatter.
Nowhere is that more evident than at a Joliet West game.
Right from the start, the Tigers dugout is alive with cheers and chants for nearly every occasion. The leadoff hitter in Monday’s game against Plainfield Central, Avery Houlihan, wears No. 22.
So, when she stepped to the plate, the call came from the dugout: “Avery’s wearing a tutu! Avery’s wearing a tutu! Go Avery, go Avery, go Avery, go!”
If a pitcher threw two straight pitches that weren’t strikes: “Two in a row! Two in a row! Two, two, two in a row!”
If a batter foul tips a pitch: “She got a piece of it, but we want all of it!”
If a batter hits a long foul down one of the lines: “Which way? That way! Which way? That way! Which way, which way, which way? That way, that way, that way!”
The Tigers feel that type of energy is important to them, and they keep it up throughout the game. It even translates when they are on the field, where they are constantly talking to each other, giving reminders on how many outs, where the play should be, where to position themselves.
It’s something they enjoy doing.
“When we come out and play with a lot of energy, we play pretty well,” West coach Heather Suca said. “We like to put pressure on the other teams and put the ball in play and make them make plays.”
Whatever they have been doing has been working. Since starting the season 1-5, the Tigers have gone 10-6 to even their record at 11-11 and are fast becoming a team no one will be comfortable seeing in the postseason.
Heating up
As the weather has improved a bit over the last couple of weeks, so has the offensive production.
Abby Gagliardo of Coal City recently had a game that saw her collect three home runs and eight RBIs. Lincoln-Way East’s Katie Stewart, a Texas commit, had a game where she hit a three-run homer and a grand slam. Lincoln-Way Central’s Bella Dimitrijevic shut out Beecher, one of the top Class 2A teams in the state, and also hit a three-run homer to provide all the offense she needed in a 3-0 victory.
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Playoff seeds
Teams have been seeded for the postseason, but the breakdowns of where the Classes 3A and 4A teams will play have not been released as of this writing, but are expected this week. The 1A and 2A pairings were announced late last week.
As far as seeds in Class 4A, in the 17-team Lockport Sectional, Lincoln-Way Central is No. 1, Lincoln-Way East is No. 2, Lockport is No. 3 and Lincoln-Way West is No. 4. Joliet West is No. 7, Bolingbrook is No. 12, Romeoville is No. 14 and Joliet Central is No. 16. Regional hosts are Lockport, Shepard, Joliet West and Bolingbrook. The winner of the Lockport Sectional will play the winner of the Marist Sectional in the Marist Super Sectional.
In the Illinois Wesleyan Super Sectional, Minooka is the No. 3 seed in Sub-Sectional B of the Normal Community Sectional, while Plainfield South is seeded No. 7 and Plainfield Central No. 8. Regional hosts are Bradley-Bourbonnais and East Moline United. In the Oswego Sectional, Plainfield North is seeded No. 8 and Plainfield East is No. 9. Regional hosts are Yorkville, Oswego East, West Chicago and West Aurora.
In Class 3A, defending state champion Lemont is seeded first in Sub Sectional A of the Lemont Sectional and will also host a regional, along with Oak Forest. In Sub Sectional B, JCA is seeded No. 2, Morris is No. 3 and Providence Catholic is No. 4. Regional hosts are Ottawa and Providence Catholic.
In Class 2A, Coal City hosts a regional in the Pontiac Sectional. The second-seeded Coalers will play the winner of No. 8 Reed-Custer and No. 6 Wilmington in one semifinal, while No. 4 Seneca and No. 5 Peotone will play in the other semifinal. The winner of that regional will play the winner of the Herscher Regional in the sectional semifinals.
In Class 1A, Dwight hosts a regional in the Walther Christian Sectional. The second-seeded Trojans will play the winner of No. 9 Grace Christian Academy and No. 10 St. Anne in a regional semifinal, while No. 6 Gardner-South Wilmington will play Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell in the other semifinal. The regional champion will play the winner of the Newark Regional in the sectional semifinals.