LWE walks away with regional title

NEW LENOX -- Neither head coach had a doubt that his/her team would win the game, but only Katie Meader proved clairvoyant -- by a pitch.

Meader's Lincoln-Way East Griffins squeaked by Providence Catholic on a four-pitch bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday to claim a 4-3 decision in the Class 4A Providence Regional championship game.

"I never had a doubt in my mind, honestly ... honestly," said Meader who watched the Celtics rally for 3 runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. "I never doubted the outcome of the game."

Carly Tribbia's one-out walk of Megan Butler to force in pinch-runner Sara Gray with the game-winner was an anticlimatic end to a thrilling final two innings. The bases were loaded thanks to singles by Caitlin Santefort and Monica Gray to lead off the inning for the Griffins, the home team due to their No. 2 sectional seed.

After a groundout moved the runners to second and third with one out, Alex Fjeldheim hit a sharp grounder to Providence second baseman Hannah Gardner, who had the sure out at first base, but passed it up to freeze Sara Gray at third base before throwing home to ensure Gray would not score the winning run.

"Carly pitched a great, you can't put it on her," said Biesterfeld who also supported Gardner's play in the eighth. "The fielder's choice, we maybe could have gotten the runner at first, but we told them, that if they were unsure, you can't let that run score."

Butler's walk followed and the Griffins advanced to the Lincoln-Way North Sectional semifinals where they will play Stagg at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Biesterfeld's confidence in his team matched Meader's, thanks to a huge top of the seventh inning by the Celtics (23-13). Trailing 3-0 with Santefort twirling a 4-hit shutout for the Griffins, Tribbia rocketed a leadoff home run, cutting the margin to 3-1.

Amy Slattery flew out on a drive that pinned Griffin center fielder Nellie Kosola to the outfield fence, but it was obvious the momentum had turned -- and so did the next batted ball.

Pinch-hitter Caroline Casper hit a twisting ball off the end of the bat that spun fair, then foul, and then fair again, before eluding first baseman Fjeldheim who was charging on the play. The fate on their home field had smiled on the Celtics.

Chloe Oprzedek (3-for-4) ripped a double off the right field fence, putting runners at second and third. Tess Erwinski's sacrifice fly netted one run, narrowing the margin to 3-2. Gardner followed with a clutch two-out hit to left, scoring Oprzedek to make the comeback complete at 3-3.

"I was (really nervous) when (Providence) tied the game," said Kosolo, who had 2 of the Griffins' 6 hits. "I knew we would come back and put runs on the board to win."

Providence coach Jay Biesterfeld believed just as strongly in his team being able to claim the school's first regional title since 1997.

"We told the kids that we had to hang in there. We were never out of that game," Biesterfeld said. "When we came back and tied that game, I thought there was no way we were losing."

Lincoln-Way East (24-4) nearly won the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Tribbia, as she had done on several occasions, toughened up in the crunch. With two outs, Tribbia walked Kosola and Jill Reid on 8 pitches before falling behind number 3 hitter, Cheryl Sendzik. Tribbia got Sendzik to fly out to left on a 3-1 count to send the game to extra innings.

The Griffins built the 3-0 lead, packaging a pair of hits with two Providence errors and a wild pitch in the third inning. A fielding error started the inning for Lincoln-Way East. A wild pitch advanced Butler to second with one out before Caroline Calabrese singled Butler to third. Calabrese scooted into second on the throw home, setting the table for Kosola, the Griffins leadoff hitter.

Kosola blistered an opposite field double down the left field line, putting East on top 2-0.

"Coach just said to look for my pitch," Kosolo said. "I knew that whoever put runs on the board first had a good chance of winning."

"Caroline Calabrese got that bit hit up the middle and it just set it up for Nellie," Meader said. "Nellie is a great leader and clutch hitter and she did exactly what was needed to be done up there. She also put herself in scoring position and you couldn't ask for anything more."

With Kosola on third following a groundout, the inning appeared to have ended when Sendzik struck out on a ball in the dirt, but catcher Julie Bartosz' throw to first on the dropped third strike sailed into right field, with Kosola scoring what would eventually become the all-important third run of the inning.

"I felt like we gave them at least two runs," Biesterfeld said. "If we just made plays, we could have been celebrating that 7th inning."

Santefort (21-3) got the win for Lincoln-Way East despite having at least one Providence runner reaching base in every inning. Santefort struck out 9 and walked 2. Tribbia, who pitched out of a jam in the fourth inning, gave up 6 hits, while striking out 2 and walking 4.