“Every team from here on out is going to be good,” SAHS coach Makayla Taylor said. “We can’t expect every single game to be a blowout. They (Bloomington Central Catholic) are a great ballclub. It just came down to who could battle through adversity the best.”

St. Anthony battled the entire game. The Lady Bulldogs trailed much of the game, didn’t get their first hit until the sixth and squeaked out of two bases-loaded jams.

Then with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, things started to happen and happened quickly.

Hatton laced an 0-1 pitch to right for a two-out single and Stacie Vonderheide lined the first pitch she saw into left for a base hit, advancing Hatton to second base. That brought in Cameran Rios, the lead-off hitter. After fouling off the first pitch, she lifted an infield pop-up that appeared to be the final out of the inning.

But the ball bounced out of the Central Catholic shortstop’s glove and Hatton, who never stopped running on the play, raced toward home and stepped on home plate for the winning tally.

“It doesn’t matter where you are in our lineup, someone is going to make things happen,” Taylor said, referring to Hatton and Vonderheide, the No. 8 and 9 hitters. “Sometimes, it just takes a little poke. Cameran then put the ball in play. When you do that, sometimes errors are going to happen.”

It brought an end to a game that featured a pair of strong pitching performances, just seven total hits and a couple costly defensive mistakes.

Pitchers Lucy Fearday and Emily York were both outstanding.

Fearday was touched for a run in the second. Gabi Hurie led off with a line drive into the left-centerfield gap for a double. She went to third on a bunt and scored when Ellie Stolfa grounded out to second.

The Saints maintained their 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth when SAHS scored the first of its two unearned runs and did so without getting a hit. Fearday drew a lead-off walk. Courtsey runner Nora Gannaway went to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third when Anna Faber’s pop-up dropped on the infield between the third baseman and shortstop. Hatton then drove in the run with a fly ball.

Central Catholic had scoring chances in the fifth and seventh, loading the bases in both innings.

In the fifth, a hit batter and single started the inning. With two outs, an intentional walk to Elesia Stenger loaded the bases, but Fearday got Audrey Campbell to ground out to end the threat.

In the seventh, another hit batter and an error put two runners on with just one out. With two outs, Stenger was intentionally walked again and Campbell flied out to end the inning.

St. Anthony didn’t get its first hit until the sixth when Addy Rios lined a base hit to center.

Fearday went all seven innings to get the win. She allowed four hits and one run, while walking two and striking out four. York gave up just three hits and the two unearned runs. She walked three and struck out six.

“This was not a normal game for us,” Taylor said. “We’re usually more consistent hitters. We faced a great pitcher today. Her rise ball gave us problems. But we were also a little too anxious.

“And we weren’t solid on defense,” Taylor added. “The turf was a little different. The ball doesn’t bounce the same way it does on dirt. Plus, I think we were a little too excited, especially at the beginning.”

The Lady Bulldogs, now 22-3 on the season, will play for a sectional title on Saturday. And for the second year in a row, they will face Tolono (Unity) in the championship game. Last year, the Lady Rockets prevailed 3-2.

“We have experience playing in these types of games and that helps,” Taylor said. “I feel our team is locked in and jelling right now. We’re exactly where we need to be and I’m excited for the girls.”