Softball

The Ottawa softball team had four of its members named to the Interstate 8 All-Conference team, while the Little Ten and Kishwaukee River Conferences released all-league teams.

Marengo‘s Kylee Jensen and Richmond-Burton‘s Hailey Holtz were among 22 players in the state named to the Illinois Coaches Association All-State first team in Class 2A. In total, eight McHenry County-area players earned All-State honors in 2A.

After Ava Lorenzatti's sixth-inning homer brought the Class 2A state championship game to extra innings, Tayiah Scanlan became a Beecher legend when she hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run to give the Bobcats a 5-2 win over Carterville for the title.

The Beecher softball team earned its fifth state championship in a game for the ages, a 5-2 10-inning win over Carterville in the Class 2A championship game Saturday, June 7, 2025 at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria.

Montini stampeded its way to a Class 3A sectional softball championship on its home field with a 13-2 run-rule victory over St. Francis in five innings on Friday evening in Lombard.

St. Laurence scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to rally past Nazareth softball in the sectional final, and Downers Grove North dropped a sectional final game to Marist in Friday's roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Edwardsville 6-1 Friday in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional championship to win the program's second-ever sectional title, both coming in the last three seasons.

Providence's Bella Cortes had the walk-off hit and fellow freshman Macie Robbins struck out 14 as the Celtics beat Lemont 1-0 in a 10-inning sectional final thriller in Ottawa.

Makayla Van Dinther tossed a complete-game six-hit shutout, Morgan Beers slapped four hits and Lexi Majkszak drove home two runs to help St. Charles East win its first sectional title since 2019 with a 5-0 victory over South Elgin.

Kelcie McGraw shut out Lincoln-Way Central over 10 innings and RJ Slavicek delivered an RBI triple to lead Lockport to a 2-0 win in the Class 4A Lockport Sectional

Huntley didn't strike out but managed just three hits in a 2-0 loss to Barrington in the Class 4A Barrington Sectional final on Friday.

The Bobcats played vintage Beecher softball in their four-run fourth inning against Auburn in Friday's Class 2A State semifinal matchup, a game the Bobcats won 4-2 to advance to their seventh-ever state championship game.

Beecher softball is headed to the state championship game for the seventh time in school history after defeating Auburn 4-2 in the Class 2A State semifinals at Peoria's Louisville Slugger Complex Friday, June 6, 2025.

Sabrina Zamora hit a two-run tying double and Kennedy Gengler followed with a go-ahead two-run double, and Oswego scored five runs in the fifth to rally past Wheaton North 5-2 and win the Class 4A Oswego Sectional title.

Huntley falls to Barrington in IHSA Class 4A Sectional Championship softball game on Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Fields of Dreams on the campus of Barrington High School.

A collision at second base went the way of Prairie Ridge, which scored five runs in the sixth inning to come back and beat rival Crystal Lake Central 5-2 on Friday for the Wolves' first sectional championship since 2009.

Bradley-Boubonnias defeated Edwardsville 6-1 to win the Class 4A softball Supersectional on Friday, June 6, 2025 at Monticello High School. The Boilermakers will play in the State semifinals on Friday June 13, at 3p.m. at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria.

The Crystal Lake Central and Prairie Ridge softball teams met Friday afternoon to decide the winner of the Class 3A Sycamore Sectional final.

Hana Stoner had singles to start two Wheaton North scoring rallies, Hannah Wulf struck out four in a four-hitter and the Falcons turned the tables on two regular-season losses to Wheaton Warrenville South with a 4-1 win in the Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal.

Brady Shallmoser had a four-hit day at the plate and Jimmy Reilly twirled a shutout as Downers Grove North got past Plainfield North in Thursday's Class 4A Lockport Sectional semifinal.

Samantha Lehnherr, Ella Bonk and Ashlynn Durkin hit back-to-back-to-back homers with two out in the third inning and Durkin struck out 10 as Downers Grove North beat York, Kat Filkowski had five hits in a Montini win and Lemont baseball also won its sectional semifinal game.

The South Elgin softball team was ready for action right from the get-go Thursday afternoon at the Class 4A Fremd Sectional semifinals against No. 2-seeded St. Charles North, shutting out the North Stars 5-0.

Kelcie McGraw's shutout of Lincoln-Way East Thursday lifted Lockport to Friday's sectional championship game.

Crystal Lake Central co-op dropped its first-ever IHSA state semifinal game Thursday when the Tigers lost 13-6 to two-time defending champion Loyola. Central will play for third place Saturday.

Prairie Ridge junior Reese Mosolino, calm as ever, pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth inning, and the Wolves' bats backed her up with three doubles to beat Belvidere North 3-0 and reach the Class 3A Sycamore Sectional final.

The Prairie Ridge softball team met Belvidere North Thursday in a Class 3A sectional semifinal at Sycamore High School. The winner will advance to Friday's championship game against Crystal Lake Central.

Since Kevin Hayhurst returned to his alma mater as the softball coach 23 years ago, the Beecher softball program became and has continued to set the state's standard of excellence.

Downers Grove North senior Ashlynn Durkin, who tossed a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and had four hits with a homer and three RBIs in a regional final win over Willowbrook, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Huntley faces DeKalb in the IHSA Class 4A Sectional Semifinal softball game on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at Barrington High School in Barrington.

Hampshire was handed a 5-0 defeat by Barrington in Wednesday's Class 4A Barrington Sectional semifinal.

Here is the All-Southwest Prairie Conference softball team for the 2025 season, as selected by coaches.

Ava McFadden had three hits, including a home run, as Huntley advanced to the Class 4A Barrington Sectional final with a 6-1 win over DeKalb on Wednesday, ending the Barbs' most successful season in almost a decade.

L-P junior Taylor Vescogni was named the Interstate 8 Conference Player of the Year and the Three Rivers East, Lincoln Trail and Little Ten also released all-conference teams.

"That's just the kind of community Henry is," Kaitlyn Anderson said about the support the Henry-Senachwine softball team received during its postseason run.

Lemont defeated Ottawa 4-2 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 in the Class 3A Sectional semifinal game at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

Providence Catholic defeated Tinley Park 20-4 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 in the Class 3A Sectional semifinal game at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

The Lemont softball team, behind clutch hitting and solid pitching, defeated host Ottawa 4-2 in Tuesday's Class 3A Sectional semifinal and advances to Friday's final against Providence Catholic.

After a leadoff home run by Fremd second baseman Amanda Poniecki, Saints junior Makayla Van Dinther quickly settled down and her No. 6-seeded team rallied for a tense 3-2 win over No. 1 Fremd in a Class 4A Fremd Sectional semifinal Tuesday.

Behind Lydia Hammond's second shutout of the postseason, Bradley-Bourbonnais defeated Minooka 4-0 in the Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Nazareth and St. Francis softball were both winners to advance to sectional finals, while Hinsdale Central girls lacrosse and Glenbard West boys volleyball both won to advance to state in Tuesday's roundup.

Yorkville faced Oswego softball in a Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 in Oswego.

Lincoln-Way Central's Bella Dimitrijevic threw a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts and teammate Teagan Berkshire put the finishing touches on a 5-0 win over Lincoln-Way West with a two-run homer.

Kennedy Gengler drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a hit with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, and top-seeded Oswego rallied with three in the inning for a 3-2 win over Yorkville in Tuesday's Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Minooka 4-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, getting payback for a 10-0 loss to the Indians in the sectional semis last year.

Brooklyn Johnson made a diving catch in right field to rob Sycamore of a run. Oli Victorine pitched an 11-strikeout gem. And Ella Arana hit a rocket that drove in the first of two Crystal Lake Central runs in the fifth inning of their 2-0 win in a sectional semifinal on Tuesday.

The Crystal Lake Central and Sycamore softball teams played Tuesday in a Class 3A Sycamore Sectional semifinal game for a chance to move on to Friday's sectional championship game.

After entering the game as a relief pitcher in the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie, Beecher's Taylor Norkus hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the Bobcats' Class 2A East Peoria Super-Sectional against Brimfield Monday, sending the Bobcats to their eighth trip to state.

The Serena softball team scored four runs in the top of the first inning but couldn't stop LeRoy from scoring the next nine and taking control of Monday's Class 1A Wesleyan Supersectional.

Kelly Cahill doubled in two runs in an IC Catholic Prep three-run sixth and had an RBI double in a three-run seventh, but the Knights' comeback from seven down came up short with the tying run at third in a 7-6 loss to North Boone in the Class 2A Benedictine Supersectional.

The Henry-Senachwine softball team's record-breaking season came to an end Monday with a 2-0 loss to Dakota in the Class 1A Sterling Supersectional.