Manteno secures at least share of ICE title with runaway win at Coal City

COAL CITY – Beginning with a runner-up finish in the 2019 IESA Class 7AA State Finals, the core group of Manteno’s softball team has done plenty of winning across not just softball, but whatever sport is in season.

As they look to save the best run for last, their senior softball push, they were able to secure at least a share of the first postseason to-do item, the Illinois Central Eight Conference title, with a 13-2 win at Coal City Monday.

“Just outside of softball, we’ve always been a big group together,” said senior first baseman Macy Iwanus, one of two Panthers with three hits Monday. “In my senior year, it’s a super bittersweet moment because we’ve made it through middle school together. Just playing volleyball, basketball, we’ve really got that team [chemistry] down.”

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Coal City's Kaycee Graf, left, reaches to apply a tag on Manteno's Alyssa Singleton as Singleton steals second base during a game at Coal City Monday, May 12, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

Entering Monday tied atop the ICE, the Panthers (18-5, 12-1) took a one-game lead over not just Coal City (17-9, 11-2) but also Wilmington with one day of conference play left Tuesday.

After the Panthers got a first-inning RBI double from Iwanus, the Coalers kept pace when Kaycee Graf scored on an error in the bottom of the frame, but a two-run third and one-run fourth sandwiched the Coalers’ third-inning run to give the visitors slight breathing room at 4-2 after the sixth.

And by the time Peterson came back to finish a six-hit complete game with just one earned run, she had a double-digit lead to work with. After a Savanna Watkins RBI single, the Panthers drew four straight walks – three with the bases loaded – on their way to a breakout inning that saw them draw five walks and piece together five hits to blow things open.

“There were a couple times in the middle innings we got some girls on and couldn’t push a run across, but I liked our approach at the plate,” Panthers head coach Josh Carlile said. “I kind of figured we would find some barrel eventually, and it just so happened that the seventh inning turned it. That’s not just huge for today, but for [Tuesday]. Hopefully we can take that momentum into [Tuesday’s] game and try to pick up where we left off.”

Iwanus and senior catcher Jaz Manau each had three-hit days to tally half of the Panthers’ 12 hits. They each doubled and walked, with Manau scoring four runs and driving in three and Iwanus driving in a pair. One of Manau’s RBIs came on her double that scored Peterson in the fourth, an at-bat she went into the batter’s box with an approach she often takes at the plate.

“I always tell myself it’s not against one, and I have to have the confidence to beat all nine of them,” Manau said. “That’s what I told myself when I hit that double.”

Manau out of the two-hole and Peterson out of the leadoff spot both often came up with at least one runner on base, nine-hitter Alyssa Singleton. Singleton had a pair of hits, a walk, a stolen base, an RBI and scored three runs.

“A lot of people think, oh, it’s just a nine-hitter, but Alyssa’s one of our better athletes on the team,” Carlile said. “She’s fast, she’s strong, she understands how to control the barrel and move and read defenses. She’s done it all year long, and we put her there purposely to set up the top of the order and give them RBI chances in the one and the two hole.”

The Coalers, who were led by Addison Harvey’s two-hit day, will look to quickly turn the page and earn at least a share of the conference by returning the favor at Manteno Tuesday before trips to Ottawa, Pontiac and Limestone to end the regular season.

With four games left, Coalers head coach Rodney Monbrum knows there’s time for the team to regain their April stride that saw them rip off nine wins in 10 games.

“We had a couple good days of practice, but unfortunately, you want to be playing your best softball at the right time, and we had a hiccup last week (a 9-7 loss to Newark), then played tough for six innings today, but it’s a seven-inning game,” Monbrum said. " … Hats off to them. They came to play and they executed."