IC Catholic Prep’s huge comeback comes up a run short in supersectional loss to North Boone

LISLE – Kelly Cahill had reason to keep the faith when IC Catholic Prep was staring at a seven-run deficit with six outs to go Monday.

They’d been there before.

“We’ve been in a couple of these situations, learned from our mistakes of the past,” the Knights’ sophomore catcher said. “Most of the time, when we are down, we find a way to come back.”

The Knights nearly took the cake with this comeback.

Cahill doubled in two runs in IC Catholic’s three-run sixth. She doubled in another run as the Knights scored three more in the seventh.

North Boone’s Courtney Troutt got a game-ending strikeout with the tying run at third, as the Vikings beat the Knights 7-6 in the Class 2A Benedictine University Supersectional.

North Boone (27-6), the defending 2A runner-up, is headed back to state after beating IC Catholic (22-14) for the second straight year in the same round on the same field. But not before the late drama.

“It was a good game,” Cahill said. “A good fight.”

The Knights were playing in a supersectional for the fifth time since 2015, seeking the program’s first state tournament appearance.

Fate seemed to smile on them late.

With two outs and a runner on trailing 7-5, Lexi Hoffman hit a fly ball to center for a potential game-ender.

But the center fielder stumbled and fell, and the ball rolled to the fence. A sixth run came in, and Hoffman scooted all the way to third with the tying run.

“Thought we were on our way,” IC Catholic coach Frank Reaber said.

Instead Troutt, a transfer from Rockford Lutheran who had the walk-off hit to beat Morrison in the sectional final Friday, got her 11th strikeout to send North Boone on its way back to Peoria.

IC Catholic’s own first-year addition, junior center fielder Sofia Bucaro, was a sparkplug throughout Monday’s game.

The transfer from Addison Trail singled for her second hit to start the Knights’ sixth-inning rally, and scored on Cahill’s screamer to the gap in right center.

“We emphasized on staying positive and not giving up, pushing through,” Bucaro said. “I just focused on my mechanics, trusted my mechanics to do what I can.”

Bucaro led the team in batting average and on-base percentage this season.

But her impact on the Knights isn’t limited to the batter’s box.

She made a spectacular diving catch in center on North Boone’s first at bat of the game.

“Anything out there she catches. She catches everything,” Reaber said. “And when she is on the base paths, things change.”

Each team had 11 hits, but North Boone did much better at maximizing its chances for the first five innings.

The Vikings scored a run in the first, two in the third and four in the fifth for the 7-0 lead. The big blow was a two-out, three-run homer by No. 7 hitter Kierya Robinson.

IC Catholic, meanwhile, had baserunners in all but one inning against Troutt.

But she had two strikeouts in each of the second, third and fourth innings to put out the Knights’ rallies.

“We couldn’t string hits together,” Reaber said. “That pitcher has good movement.”

Cahill, after grounding out her first at-bat with runners on, had hits in her last three, doubles her last two.

“I scooted more toward the plate because she was hitting us lefties outside,” Cahill said. “After a while I started creeping up and I was able to attack her pitches.”

Eight of IC Catholic’s starters Monday will be back next year. That includes sophomores Cahill and Lexi Russ, who combined for over 100 RBIs.

“We don’t lose much, we’ll just keep rolling,” Reaber said. “I thought coming in today we could have beat them. Couple clutch hits, one bad pitch. It could have gone either way.”