Beecher senior center fielder Makenzie Johnson has had no shortage of prideful moments on the softball diamond, adding a pair in Thursday’s game at Wilmington when she saved a couple runs with a nifty diving catch in the bottom of the sixth and followed it up with a two-run home run to cap off the Bobcats’ 4-0 win.

But it’s a different type of pride that Johnson felt for a majority of the state-ranked showdown in Wilmington Thursday, where she watched her younger sister, sophomore Allie Johnson, throw 5⅓ shutout innings.

“I’m insanely proud,” Makenzie Johnson said. “She did an amazing job. Coming in, she knew she was facing some tough hitters, especially some girls that have been All-State the last couple years.

“She knew coming in she had to do a job. I know me and her were both listening to music on the bus, dead silent and locking in.”

In a meeting between the defending Class 2A state champion Bobcats, the No. 3 team in the Illinois Softball Coaches Association Poll and a No. 10 Wilmington team that entered the day on a 15-game winning streak, Allie Johnson and Wildcats starter Lexi Strohm were dealing on Thursday. Grace Wuest reached on an error and came around on a Maddie Grooms single in the second for the only run in the game’s first five innings.

Not long after Allie Johnson escaped her first jam when the Wildcats had runners on in the fourth, Wuest doubled the Beecher lead with a sixth-inning single that scored Elena Kvasnicka.

The Wildcats again threatened with one out in the sixth when Taylor Stefancic singled and Nina Egizio walked, prompting Bobcats coach Kevin Hayhurst to pull Allie Johnson after four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

In came Beecher ace, senior Colgate commit Taylor Norkus, who induced the Strong liner that Makenzie Johnson snagged before striking out Madisyn Rossow.

“I knew she had it,” Allie Johnson said about both Makenzie’s catch and Norkus closing the door. “In the moment I was upset, but now that I see it I knew she had it and would close it.”

After Mia Chavez doubled to open the seventh, Strahm locked back in for a pair of quick hits before the top of the order rolled back around just in time for Makenzie Johnson to take a 2-0 offering for a ride.

“Sometimes I put a little too much pressure on myself,” Makenzie Johnson said of her role as the senior table-setter. “But overall I can reset and know my team can trust me to get a hit.”

Makenzie Johnson and Carmela Irwin each had a pair of hits for the Bobcats. Rossow had a pair for the Wildcats, who saw Strahm allow three earned runs on eight hits and five strikeouts in a complete game.

“Lexi had a heck of a game. ... We were right there,” Wildcats coach Jack Skole said. “It’s one of those games where they capitalized on our mistakes like we’ve done to other teams this year. I can’t fault any of our girls. Their pitcher was obviously definitely on today. I was proud of them.”

Dating back to last season, the Bobcats (15-0) have won 24 straight games and will look to make it 25 and 26 when they visit St. Joseph-Ogden for a pair on Saturday. The Wildcats (15-4) will look to start a new streak when they visit Clifton Central on Friday.

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Wilmington's Nina Egizio, left, tags Beecher's Maddie Grooms out at second base during a game at Wilmington Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)