April 26, 2024
Shaw Local
NewsSubscribePrep SportsObituariesFriday Night DriveeNewspaperLocal EventsShaw Local RadioStarved Rock Country

Softball: L-P faces tough regional field in Rock Island

Cavaliers aim for first regional championship since 2013

By Kevin Chlum
L-P's Chloe Mitchell delivers a pitch to Ottawa on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at Veterans Park in Peru.

La Salle-Peru's Chloe Mitchell delivers a pitch against Ottawa this season. Mitchell and the Cavaliers open the postseason Tuesday against Galesburg in the Class 3A Rock Island Regional. (Scott Anderson)

In each of the past three seasons, the La Salle-Peru softball team reached a regional final only to see its season end there.

In their quest for their first regional championship since 2013, the Cavaliers lost 7-6 to Joliet Catholic in 2019, 5-1 to Sterling in 2021 and 3-1 to Rock Island last spring in regional championships.

This season, the Cavs are the favorite as the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A Rock Island Regional, while Geneseo is the No. 3 seed and the host Rocks are the No. 5 seed.

“Once again, this may be the toughest regional to advance from,” L-P coach Randy Huebbe said. “Between Geneseo, Rock Island and L-P, it’s a shame that only one will advance.”

The Cavs (28-5), who placed second in the Interstate 8 Conference and were ranked No. 6 in the final Illinois Coaches Association Class 3A Poll, open the regional against No. 7 Galesburg (4-20) in a semifinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Willard Elementary, which is located at 2503 9th St. in Rock Island.

Two of the Silver Streaks’ four wins on the season have come in their past five games.

The second semifinal pits the Maple Leafs (27-8) against Rock Island (13-13) at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Geneseo, which is ranked No. 9, has beaten Rock Island twice this season in Western Big Six Conference play, including 11-1 in five innings May 9.

The winners will play for the title at 4 p.m. Friday.

“If both Geneseo and L-P take care of business, then Friday should be one heck of a game,” Huebbe said.

The Cavs and Maple Leafs met in the final week of the regular season with L-P winning 8-7 in eight innings.

However, that game isn’t a true predictor of the potential regional title matchup as neither team threw its ace pitcher.

“They’re a good, well-coached team,” Huebbe said. “We didn’t see their best pitcher, and they didn’t see Chloe [Mitchell] last week, so if we win Tuesday, I’ll make the trip on Wednesday to scout both them and Rock Island.

“Geneseo hits the ball really well, so defensively we will need to be at our best. Like us, they play in a touch conference, which they won, so they are battle tested.”

The Rock Island Regional winner moves on to the Metamora Sectional to face the winner of the Washington Regional, which includes subsectional B No. 1 seed Washington (23-8), which is ranked No. 8.

The other regionals feeding into the Metamora Sectional are at Metamora, which features the No. 1-seeded Redbirds (28-3), who are ranked No. 3, and Normal Community West, which includes the No. 2-seeded hosts (26-9), who are ranked No. 16, and No 3 seed East Peoria (19-9), which is ranked No. 11.