Bishop McNamara homers 4 times in 9th inning of wild 9-4 win over Wilmington

When Bishop McNamara’s Camille Czako came up to the plate to lead off the top of the ninth inning of Tuesday’s IHSA Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinal against Wilmington, the Fightin’ Irish hadn’t scored since the first inning.

That scoreless drought was ended with one swing of the bat.

The junior third baseman lifted a solo home run that smacked off the scoreboard in right-center field. Seconds later, that scoreboard changed the score for the Fightin’ Irish for the first time in two hours.

It was also the first of a staggering four home runs for the Irish in a ninth inning that saw McNamara (21-7) come to life and keep its season going with a 9-4 win over the Wildcats (24-6).

“It was a really great feeling, because I felt like it just started the momentum back up,” Czako said. “We started off hot in the first inning, but then we kind of went scoreless there for a while. Just having that momentum really brought us up.”

Bishop McNamara's Maddy Weiland, left, congratulates Camille Czako on her go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of the Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinals against Wilmington Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)

Rhaya DePaolo got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the first inning, which was followed up by an error later in the inning that sent courtesy runner Lexi Barzantny home to make it a 3-0 game.

But Wilmington’s Lexi Strohm settled in while the Wildcats came back to tie things up.

Three batters after Czako gave the Irish back a 4-3 lead, senior Gabby Burnett drilled a two-run shot. Josylnn Dole added a solo homer two batters after that, and after Sophia Piggush singled, Emma Thyfault sent another ball over the fence to make it a 9-3 ballgame.

Wilmington managed to battle back for one run in the bottom of the ninth, but Dole got a strikeout to end the game.

Bishop McNamara's Joslynn Dole throws a pitch during the Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinals against Wilmington Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)

Dole threw all nine innings despite dealing with an injury that occurred at practice Monday when a ground ball hit off the tip of the middle finger on her pitching hand. It’s been sore and bleeding off and on since, but the sophomore was able to pitch through it and limit a lethal Wilmington lineup to just four runs.

“It was hurting during the game, but I was like, ‘Come on, give it everything you’ve got,’ ” she said. “I knew if they did hit the ball, my defense would get them, especially in the outfield.”

The game nearly didn’t reach extra innings at all, but that outfield defense Josylnn Dole mentioned got a season-saving play from her cousin Vivian Dole in center.

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Wilmington's Emilie Strong, right, tags Gabby Burnett out at home plate during the Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinals Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)

In the bottom of the seventh with Wilmington’s Emilie Strong at second base, Ally Allgood lined a single to Vivian in center. She fired home to catcher Abbie Bysor, who tagged a sliding Strong and sent the game to the eighth.

“Honestly, my mind was just blank,” Joslynn Dole said. “I was like, ‘That did not just happen.’ But I’ve seen her make that throw many times in practice, and I knew she was going to make it.”

Burnett is one of just two seniors on the roster for the Irish, and her home run held up as the game-winner Tuesday.

“It feels so good, and I think it’s topped every year I’ve been here. ...” she said. “We were all trying to keep each other up [during the scoreless drought]. Then Camille hit one, and it just kept going. We’d come back in [the dugout] and then just go right back out again. It was just so much fun.”

Bishop McNamara fell just outside the top 20 in the latest Class 2A ICA Poll, but has picked up recent wins over a ranked 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais team, a ranked 3A Providence Catholic team and now the sixth-ranked 2A team in Wilmington.

Irish coach Jenna Arseneau said her club will be ready to try for another upset win over Class 2A’s No. 3 Seneca on Friday.

“I think they thrive in it,” she said. “They thrive in our pressure games and just have so much love and support for each other that they fight tooth-and-nail for each other. I hope they can carry it on throughout the postseason. ...

“They’ve got to keep the momentum, keep the energy and keep hitting it out of the park.”

Wilmington's Taylor Stefancic fields a ground ball during the Wildcats' Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinal against Bishop McNamara Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)

Wilmington got RBIs from Nina Egizio, Ally Allgood, Madisyn Rossow and Sami Liaromatis. The Wildcats tied the program record for wins and went 14-0 in Illinois Central Eight Conference for the first time.

The loss also marked the end of the careers of Strohm and the all-state sluggers Molly Southall and Taylor Stefancic. This senior class has helped the Wildcats to back-to-back 20-win seasons, and coach Jack Skole said their contributions were huge over the years.

“With [Strohm], I remember when she just started pitching in middle school and thought she was going to give up on it,” he said. “I told her to stick with it and she’d be good, and she did, thankfully. ...

“Players like [Southall and Stefancic], you’re going to have players come in and take over. But replacing those players is going to be a difficult task for anyone.”