Lemont advances to 3A sectional title game with 4-2 win over Ottawa

OTTAWA – Lemont senior Natalie Pacyga’s first two at-bats in Tuesday’s Class 3A Ottawa Sectional semifinal were, in her words, “ugly.”

“I swung at pitches I shouldn’t have, swung out of my shoes, and popped out twice,” Pacyga said, shaking her head in disbelief. “It was frustrating, but you just have to let it go.”

With her team holding a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth against host Ottawa, and following a double by Ella Phelan, Pacyga came through with a rocket two-bagger to the fence in left center.

“I just cleared my thoughts and just told myself to ‘be confident in yourself,’” Pacyga said. ”The pitch sequence was the same as my first two times up, so I figured I was going to get a pitch high and inside, so I was looking for it."

Lemont added another run in the sixth and held off Ottawa’s seventh-inning rally to post a 4-2 victory.

Lemont (27-10) will face Providence Catholic at 6 p.m. Friday in the championship game. The Celtics rolled to a 20-4, five-inning win over Tinley Park in Tuesday’s opening semifinal.

Ottawa ends the season at 20-11.

“This was truly a team win, and [my girls] need to know that,” Lemont coach Chris Traina said. “We had contributions from everyone today, which was great to see.

“When we needed a big hit or a big pitch, someone made it happen. We had a few chances that we came up empty, but this is a game you have to have a short memory. You have to leave the bad go and be ready the next time you step in the box. I thought we did a great job of that today.”

Ottawa scored in the top of the first when Piper Lewis smacked an opposite-field double to the fence in left and scored on a throwing error.

Lemont tied the game in its half of the first on a two-out RBI single by Caroline Painter after Claire Podrebarac and Phelan had led off with back-to-back singles.

Lemont took the lead for good in the fourth on an RBI double off the bat of Ava Zdenovec. Then up 3-1 after Pacyga’s RBI hit, Lemont scored again in the sixth when Painter singled to lead off and eventually came around to score on a throwing error.

In the Ottawa seventh, leadoff batter Avery Leigh was hit by a pitch and scored when a two-out single by Bobbi Snook took a crazy hop over center fielder Maya Hollendoner’s head.

However, Mila Mardjetko was able to retire the final Pirates batter on a strikeout to end the game.

Painter finished 3 for 3, while Phelan had a pair of hits. Starter and winning pitcher Sydney Kibbon allowed four hits and struck out two in four innings, while Mardjetko earned the save, going the final three frames, allowing four hits and fanning three.

Snook led Ottawa with three hits, while Rylee Harsted and Reese Purcell each had two hits. Addie Russell took the loss, giving up nine hits, walking none and striking out one in her six innings.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this group,“ Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. ”I feel like we exceeded expectations. We lost two significant players from last season when they graduated early, and I’m not sure many people had us finishing the way we did with 20 wins and a regional championship. We improved as a team from the beginning of the season to the end, and I’ll take that every season.

“This team played with so much heart, and they don’t quit. Even tonight down three going to the seventh they found a way to put us in a position of having the tying run at the plate. It didn’t work out, but they put up a heck of a fight.”

Providence Catholic 20, Tinley Park 4 (5 inn.): The Celtics put the game away with 10 runs in the top of the fifth. Angelina Cole went 3 for 5 with a triple and two RBIs, while Ava Misch was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. Macie Robbins struck out seven, including her 200th of the season, and allowed six hits.

“Our energy and pitch selection both were better today than it was in (the regional final) on Saturday,” Providence coach Jim Holba said. “We collectively had a good approach at the plate, hit some balls really hard and were able to score some runs.

“As much as we were anxious on Saturday it was a complete turnaround today. I also thought, while it might have been out of the spotlight a little because of our hitting, Macie pitched a really good game for us.”