Coal City’s bats come alive in 14-4 regional win over Joliet Catholic

COAL CITY − Wednesday’s IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal between Coal City and Joliet Catholic was shaping up to be a pitchers’ duel early on.

The Coalers led 2-0 after three innings, with Coal City starter Masyn Kuder and Joliet Catholic starter Nina Sebahar allowing just five total hits between them. But the teams went on to combine for 15 total hits over the next three innings, the majority of which came off the bats of Coal City.

The Coalers (19-12) scored three runs in the top of the fourth, six in the fifth and three more in the sixth to pull away from JCA (17-13), who pushed across a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, for a 14-4 win in six innings. Coal City advanced to Friday’s regional championship game against Bishop McNamara.

Kaycee Graf was one of five players to finish with multiple hits for the Coalers, going 3 for 4 with a double, a walk and three RBIs.

“I’m really proud of our team today,” Graf said. “I think we kept the energy high throughout the entire game, no matter the lead we had. It was a great team effort. We made the plays we had to make on defense and our bats came alive when they needed to.”

All nine players in the lineup for the Coalers reached base at least once on Wednesday. Seven players scored at least one run, with six of those players scoring multiple runs, and six players recorded at least one RBI.

Whether it was Madalyn Peterson setting the table in the leadoff spot with two walks, an RBI and two runs, or Julianna Covington in the nine hole going 1 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs, head coach Rodney Monbrum said the team is capable of putting pressure on opposing pitchers no matter what part of the lineup is coming up.

“I think our one-through-nine offensive lineup is better than most teams around here,” he said. “Some teams lean on their one-through-four hitters, but sometimes our seven, eight and nine hitters have more success than the top of the order does. It’s al luxury for our bottom of the order to be as good as they are.”

Addison Harvey was 2 for 3 for the Coalers with two walks, three RBIs and two runs. Sierra Anderson was 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs while Addison Hodgen was 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk and three runs.

Kuder went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs while also picking up the win, allowing eight hits and recording six strikeouts over six innings.

She said that she liked seeing the energy her teammates brought to the field Wednesday, and the cushion they gave her on the scoreboard when the Angels started to heat up later in the game.

“I felt like they were very competitive, very up the whole game,” Kuder said. “They really brought their bats and made it a lot easier on me pitching.”

For JCA, Sebahar walked five batters and hit three over 4 1/3 innings, including hitting two batters and walking another with the bases loaded in Coal City’s six-run fifth inning. Keigan Sprovieri had two walks and hit a batter over 1 2/3 innings as both pitchers struggled to get a consistent grip on the ball.

“They had a hard time holding onto the ball, spinning the ball, controlling the ball, and it got away from us,” she said. “Our bats did not come through to make up for that, to swing the momentum back to our side.”

Molly Ryan was 3 for 3 with an intentional walk and a run out of the leadoff spot for the Angels. Callan Kinsella was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Addison Fanter was 1 for 3 with an RBI double.

JCA seniors Ryan, Fanter, Sprovieri, Erica Johnson and Leah Pena had their high school careers come to an end with Wednesday’s loss.

“[Ryan] has definitely come into her own, starting last year into this year,” Tina Kinsella said. “Addie Fanter, she has a big stick and makes coaches and the opponents pitch around her, really jam her.

“Leah Pena, Erica Johnson, Keigan coming in, they keep us grounded as seniors,” she added. “The showed the underclassmen that you can continue to be a role player and still do great things.”