2A Softball: Somonauk/Leland uses huge 2nd in regional win over Mendota

SOMONAUK – The subsectional No. 8-seeded Somonauk/Leland softball team exploded for nine runs in the second inning in Monday’s Class 2A Princeton Regional quarterfinal game against No. 10 Mendota.

That was more than enough support for sophomore Kaydence Eade as the Bobcats pitcher scattered five hits, walked one and struck out six in a 12-2 victory in five innings over the Trojans.

“I was having pretty good success with working the outside corner,” Eade said. “My pitches were really moving today, and I was able to get a few strikeouts staying outside, so that’s what I kind of stuck with. It was one of those days where I felt I could really put pitches where I wanted at any time.

“Getting those nine runs really took the pressure off. From that point I felt relaxed and knew if I did make a mistake or two, we were still going to be in good shape.”

S/L (10-13) advances to a semifinal against top-seeded Morrison at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Princeton. Mendota ends the season 2-19.

In early April, Mendota and Somonauk/Leland combined to score the fifth-most runs in state history, according to the IHSA website, the Bobcats capturing a 30-29 win.

“Our first game back in April, yeah, that was a long night,” S/L coach Hannah Bazan said. “So coming into today we knew what to expect having played them. I think offensively we came here today with a ton of confidence, I mean we had (31 hits) against them last time, and the hope was we could hit the ball well again this time.

“We’ve struggled a lot this season with coming out or keeping our energy high for whatever reason. In games where we’ve kept things in a good spot energy-wise the bats have seemed to really feed of that. Today it also carried over into our pitching and defense. I feel like we played a good all-around game.”

Mendota took the lead in the first when Cassie Gonzalez doubled to right center and scored on a single to left by Addy Perryman.

The hosts then had the first seven batters reach base off losing pitcher Ava Eddy (4 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K), the first two on errors, followed by key two-run singles by Kira Barnes (3 for 3) and Maddie LeCuyer and an RBI hit by Kennedy Barshinger (3 for 3). Barnes also drove in a run with her second hit of the inning to complete the nine-run frame.

The visitors scored again in the third with Eddy collecting her second hit of the game, advancing to third on a single by Leah Henkel and scoring on a wild pitch.

In the Bobcats’ fourth, LeCuyer’s two-out, bases-loaded double made it a 10-run lead before Eade retired Mendota in order in the fifth to end the game.

“That’s unfortunately something that has happened to us a lot this season,” Mendota coach Joel Perez said of the S/L second. “We’ve had so many games where one inning we just can’t seem to get that third out. It just seems like in those innings every ball off the bat is a seeing eye hit or we make multiple errors that lead to more runs.

“There were times to today where our youth showed. I had five freshmen out there, they’re going to be good players, but they are still going to make mistakes. It’s going to take time, but we’ll get there.”