By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Lucy Fearday has two pitches – a fastball and a change-up.
But for most of the spring season, the change-up hasn’t been very effective.
Or as Lucy said, “It’s been horrible.”
Until Friday night.
The change-up was “on,” and as a result, Fearday was almost unhittable.
St. Anthony’s senior right-hander mixed up those two pitches and kept the Teutopolis batters off-balance the entire game.
And while Fearday was allowing only one hit and three baserunners, her teammates were all over the basepaths, banging out 15 hits.
When the final out was recorded, the Lady Bulldogs had an 11-0, six-inning victory, and for the second year in a row, claimed the Cross Creek Classic championship, which is played at Evergreen Hollow Park in Effingham each year.
Fearday pounded the strike zone throughout. Of her 77 total pitches, 60 were strikes. She didn’t walk a batter, struck out nine and allowed only a second-inning single to T-Town’s Malea Helmink, who was then thrown out at second by leftfielder Stacie Vonderheide when Helmink tried to stretch it into a double.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Things were looking good early.
The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs had already scored two runs, had three hits and a runner on a base – and they were still batting in the top of the second inning.
But after that, there was virtually no offense. Tolono Unity pitcher Taylor Henry retired 16 of the final 17 batters, her teammates made a couple terrific defensive plays and the Lady Rockets managed to score just enough runs.
When the final out was recorded, Tolono Unity had a 3-2 victory Saturday and the championship of the Class 2A Maroa-Forsyth Sectional.
Unity scored an unearned run in the second and then got two RBI singles in the third to erase the early two-run deficit and take a lead it never relinquished.
After a shaky start defensively, the Lady Rockets were flawless in the field over the final six innings. That included three very good running catches by rightfielder Jenna Adkins in the third, fifth and seventh innings. Each of those would have probably gone for extra base hits had they fallen.
“Things just didn’t roll our way today,” St. Anthony coach Makayla Taylor said. “I know we didn’t score after the second inning, but we hit the ball. You have to give credit to them. They made some great plays.”
Maddie Kibler and Addie Wernsing both belted three-run homers and Lucy Fearday allowed just three hits, leading the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs to a 10-1 win Monday over Paris in the championship game of the Class 2A St. Joseph Regional.
The victory earned St. Anthony a berth in the Maroa-Forsyth Sectional, which will begin today (Tuesday). The Lady Bulldogs will play at 6:30 p.m. against Bloomington Central Catholic. The Lady Saints advanced with a 10-3 win over Monticello in the Monticello Regional.
The first game of the sectional will feature Maroa-Forsyth against Tolono Unity. That game is slated for 4:30 p.m.
The sectional championship game will be at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Paris jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening inning of the regional final, combining a single and an error to score an unearned run.
But the Lady Bulldogs quickly responded in the bottom of the frame. Cameron Rios single, raced to third on a base hit by Wernsing and scored on a throwing error by an outfield. After Hailey Niebrugge walked, Maddie Kibler connected on a 1-0 pitch and sent it over the centerfield fence for a three-run homer, staking SAHS to a 4-1 lead.
St. Anthony added to its lead in the fourth. Adysen Rios singled and Wernsing reached on an error. Niebrugge then delivered an RBI double. Maddie Kibler drove in her fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly and Sydney Kibler capped the three-run inning with an RBI single.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on three more tallies in the fifth. The Rios sisters – Adysen and Cameron – both walked and Wernsing followed with a three-run blast that gave SAHS a comfortable nine-run cushion.
That was more than enough for Fearday. After she allowed two hits in the third inning, Fearday allowed only one baserunner – a walk – through the final four frames. That was her only walk of the game. She also struck out nine in her seven innings of work.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 25-4 on the season.
As many anticipated, the sectional championship will feature the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Rockets of Tolono Unity.
These two teams have been on a collision course since meeting in the season opener. And Saturday morning, these two talented softball teams will meet for the chance to advance to the super sectional.
Tolono Unity posted a 9-1 win Tuesday over Maroa-Forsyth and St. Anthony followed with an 8-6 decision over Bloomington Central Catholic to set up the championship game of the Class 2A Maroa-Forsyth Sectional.
The Lady Bulldogs fell behind early, but then scored eight runs over three innings – getting a pair of RBI from both Hailey Niebrugge and Adysen Rios -- to rally for the win.
The Lady Saints used a walk and an error to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But St. Anthony responded quickly, pushing five runs across in the top of the second.
Sydney Kibler walked to start the inning. Three straight sacrifice bunts resulted in a pair of errors and actually allowed three runs to score. Adysen Rios then singled and raced to third on a base hit by Cameron Rios. On the throw to third, Cameron scooted into second. Niebrugge then delivered a two-out single that drove both runners home.
St. Anthony increased its lead to 7-2 in the second. Sydney Kibler doubled and went to third on a base hit by Lucy Fearday. Then with two outs, Adysen Rios lined a triple that drove in both runners.
With two outs in the fourth, Maddie Kibler smacked a solo home run over the left field fence.
Bloomington Central Catholic narrowed the gap with a four-run fifth. The Lady Saints combined two walks and three hits.
Fearday was the winning pitcher. She allowed just four hits and six runs in her seven innings of work. She walked four and struck out 10, while throwing 100 pitches.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 26-4 on the season.
Tolono Unity will enter the sectional final with a 24-8 record. The Lady Rockets defeated SAHS 8-1 back on April 14 in the season opener for both teams.
The sectional championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday. The winner will advance to the Decatur Super-Sectional, which will be played at 11 a.m. Monday.
By Steve Raymond
News Report Staff
The St. Anthony softball team was a huge surprise last year.
Nobody expected them to get past Casey-Westfield in the sectional, let alone finish second in the Class 1A State Tournament.
The whole team was incredibly young. Not a senior on the squad. Virtually no varsity experience.
And that included the coaching staff.
In all reality, the head coach was in her very first year. And the assistant coach was her dad.
But this group of Lady Bulldogs just kept winning.
Yes, they were young. But they were also talented.
Yes, the head coach was a rookie. But she had a plan and a coaching style that resonated with her team.
And that head coach/assistant coach, father/daughter thing?
Well, that worked out just fine.
Turns out there’s a bond between Makayla Taylor and Tim Walsh. And it’s a bond that has only grown stronger through the years.
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