The Seneca softball team battled Carterville pitch-for-pitch and out-for-out during Saturday’s IHSA Class 2A championship on OSF Healthcare Field inside the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.

Carterville (39-1), which finished runner-up in 2025, was able to score a run in the third and two more in the fifth.

Seneca (39-3), which only had two baserunners through five innings against Lions’ senior pitcher and University of Illinois commit Caidence Phillips, was able to put four runners in scoring position in the final two frames and got one run back in the seventh, but eventually fell 3-1 to finish runner-up to cap an amazing and record-breaking season.

“This team battled to the very end,” Seneca coach Brian Holman said. “Against Beecher [in the sectional final] we were down and came back. Against IC Catholic on Thursday, we were down and battled back. And today, we found ways in the final two innings to bring the tying run up to the plate a couple times. We were a hit away a couple times today, but we just weren’t able to get it.”

Carterville took the lead for good in the top of the third. Emilyn Ford coaxed a leadoff walk from Seneca starter Hayden Pfeifer, stole second and came around to score on a single to left by Colbie Bennett.

In the fifth against Irish reliver Tessa Krull, Bennett led off with a base hit, stole second and scored on a single off the bat of Taryn Ford to make it 2-0. Ford, who had moved to second on the throw, stole third and score on a bunted out by Savannah Gibbs.

Seneca was only able to produce a first-inning single by Graysen Provance and a fifth-inning single by Lexie Buis through the opening five innings.

“Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job at the plate but just weren’t able to really barrel many balls up,” Holman said. “We were just under a lot of pitches that we normally make good contact on but that’s why [Phillips] has only gave up two earned runs and struck over 300 batters all year.

“[Phillips] is the real deal. The last two innings when we were able to get some runners on and into scoring position you saw her really bare down. She mixed a couple of 65 miles per hour fastballs in there when she needed to and that’s tough.”

In the Seneca sixth, Provance slapped a one-out single and advanced to third on a two-out hit by Pfeifer, but Phillips recorded a strikeout to end the threat.

In the seventh, Kaydynce Wardlow leadoff with a single to left on a 0-2 pitch. Ameliah Weber then smacked a one-out single to center, and when the throw to third was wild. pinch runner Brynlee Hunt scored to make it 3-1. But Phillips was able to strike out the final to two batters to close out the victory.

“You just have to give all the credit to [Phillps],” Seneca senior first baseman Camryn Stecken said. “She really, really good. She knows what spot to hit and when. When she needed to make a big pitch today, she did and that’s why she’ll being pitching at the Division I level the next four years.”

Pfeifer (loss, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) and Krull (3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) both pitched well for Seneca.

Phillips (win, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) finished the season allowing just two earned runs with 324 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched.

“I think overall both teams had great gameplans against each other on short notice,” Carterville coach Will Capie said. “As you saw, there was a reason why these two team were playing in this game, I feel we were the top two teams in Class 2A all season. The game lived up to all the hype.

“We had a number of good scoring chances today; we came through on some and left some out there. In these games you have to try and find a way to score runs any way you can because that team in the other dugout is going to do the same. The big difference in today’s game was just simply we were able to fortunately do that a couple more times than they were.”