After coming back from a pair of two-run deficits and taking a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning Monday, Wilmington was just one strike away from an opening-day win.

But with a run already across in the inning, and additional runners on second and third, Homewood-Flossmoor freshman McKenzie Weber lined a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left-center field, ending her first career game with a three-run walkoff home run to give the Vikings an 8-7 win.

“Being able to get out on the first day of the season, actually get a game in, was great for us,” Wilmington head coach Jack Skole said. “It was a good battle all the way and I’m proud of the girls. We were down, we came back, and we got some good things going.”

The Vikings got a run in the bottom of the first and another in the bottom of the third to take an early lead Monday.

The Wildcats responded in the top of the fourth on a single from Taylor Stefancic that drove in Molly Southall. Stefancic then stole second and third before scoring on a two-out error.

After the Vikings went up 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth, an RBI fielder’s choice from Emilie Strong got the Wildcats back within a run in the fifth.

They loaded the bases in the top of the sixth on a walk from Allgood, a single from Lexi Strohm and a walk from Sami Liarmoatis. Keeley Walsh then gave the Wildcats their first lead with a two-run single.

Wilmington added two more in the seventh, one when Strong tripled and scored on a single from Allgood and another when courtesy runner Natalie Strohm scored on an error.

But the top of the Viking order was due up in the bottom half, and Taylor Purchas starting things off with a scorching single into center.

She scored on a single from Denmark Chaney, and after another single from Isabella Truman, Weber came up and ended her fourth career plate appearance in style.

“I didn’t look at the ball, so I didn’t see, but I was just hoping and praying it was going over,” she said. “I was really nervous coming up to bat because there was already two outs and I could’ve ended the game right there. I just put my faith in myself and just swung the bat.”

While Weber certainly had a high school debut to remember, Wilmington had four freshman make their first varsity appearances as well.

Strong started at catcher and went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run. Taylor Tenn started in right field and made a nice running catch to save a run in the third.

Natalie Strohm scored as a courtesy runner while Meredith Marquardt saw action as a pinch runner.

The Wildcats did not have any seniors on last season’s 23-7 team, but only had 10 players on the roster.

With 18 players on the roster for 2026, Skole said having reinforcements will be beneficial.

“We’ve got girls with some talent, where if somebody is out or hurt, or something like that, we’ve got girls that can step up and contribute,” he said. “I’m happy about that.”

With these new additions supporting a first-team All-Stater in Southall, second-team All-State picks Walsh and Stefancic and a third-team All-State shortstop in Nina Egizio, Wilmington has high expectations once again after posting the second 20-win season in program history a season ago.

While Monday’s loss was certainly a bit of a disappointment for the Wildcats, Skole said he is excited for the rest of the year.

“It’s about how we bounce back off of this,” he said. “We’re a 2A school playing a 4A school, and it was a great game. You’ve got to take that in stride and bounce back. We’ve got to clean up some things like signs, baserunning and things like that, but we’ll be fine.”

Taryn Gilbert took the loss for Wilmington, pitching all 6⅔ innings and striking out seven.

Walsh finished 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Stefancic was 1 for 3 with an RBI, a run and three steals while Allgood was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run.