Softball: Woodstock North’s run ends in extra-inning sectional loss to Belvidere North

SYCAMORE – Woodstock North kept fighting until the end.

The Thunder beat the odds as a No. 7 seed in the Class 3A Sycamore Sectional to win the softball program’s first regional title Friday and battled back to force extra innings against Belvidere North in their sectional semifinal matchup Wednesday.

But Woodstock North’s playoff magic came to an end when Belvidere North scored on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to win, 5-4.

“They didn’t quit,” Woodstock North coach Paul Sandall said. “It stunk the way they got the final run, but it is what it is. What a great game.”

Belvidere North (21-7) got after Woodstock North (8-14) starter Casey Vermett right away in the bottom of the eighth. Kamaria Deckard singled and Jacquie Alvarez doubled to give the Blue Thunder runners on second and third with no outs.

Vermett struck out a batter and forced a groundout to get the second out, but she walked Alex Blair to load the bases, and Katie Norgard drew the bases-loaded walk to push across the winning run.

Sandall never thought about switching out Vermett in the eighth.

“I trust those two whole-heartedly,” Sandall said of Vermett and catcher Norah Mungle. “They’re a good pair, they know each other inside and out. [Vermett] had what she had, she just wasn’t getting the outside corner late there.”

The Thunder forced extra innings with a rally in the top of the seventh. Down 4-2 with a runner on second, Caylin Stevens singled to center field, and Addison Salazar scored with the help of an error on the play.

Mungle tied the game with a double to center, allowing Stevens to score. Mungle also drove in her team’s first run when she doubled in the first inning and later tied the game at 2-all with a home run to right-center field in the fourth.

“Our whole team put our heart and soul into it,” Mungle said. “We didn’t give up.”

Belvidere North starter Becca Schwartz threw eight innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. She struck out six and walked two.

Belvidere North took a 2-1 lead in the second when Marissa Long drove in two runs on a single to left field. The Blue Thunder retook the lead in the sixth to make it 4-2 after Deckard drove in a run on a single and Blair added another on a single to center.

Vermett pitched 7 ⅔ innings and allowed five runs on 13 hits, striking out 10 and walking three.

“She threw well,” Sandall said of Vermett. “That last inning, she wasn’t getting that outside corner like she was getting most of the game, and it was what it is.”

Sandall told his players after Wednesday’s loss to be proud of what they accomplished this season, which included the program’s first regional title.

“We had a great season,” Sandall said. “We did a lot better than a lot of people expected us to. We made a sectional. Nobody thought we’d get out of the first round of the regionals.”