Softball: Shelby Fraser’s clutch at-bat lifts Joliet West over Lincoln-Way Central in 8th inning

JOLIET – Imagine this: Your team has come back twice to tie the game on a freezing, windy day. You’re in extra innings with one runner on and a chance to advance to the semifinals of the WJOL Softball Tournament. You’re facing one of the best pitchers in the area, and they just walked your hottest bat of the day. You step up to the plate in this scenario.

Like Eminem said: One shot, one opportunity. Would you capture it? Or let it slip?

Joliet West’s Shelby Fraser only needed one pitch to emphatically answer the former Wednesday afternoon. She put the ball in play in the bottom of the eighth inning, and an error on a fielder’s choice allowed Avery Houlihan to score for the third time in the game and send West to the WJOL semifinals with a 4-3 win over Lincoln-Way Central.

It was a wild end to a wild game at Inwood Athletic Fields. A pitchers’ duel for much of the contest, Central’s Bella Dimitrijevic, a Florida State commit, was unhittable the first three innings, and she finished with an unbelievable 21 strikeouts. Madison Jadron allowed eight hits and three walks, but also struck out three and held Central to three runs to keep West (3-1) in the game.

“We stuck with the game plan we’ve been trying to stick with all year,” Tigers head coach Heather Suca said. “We focused on base running, put the ball in play and took advantage of any little mistake which is what we did late. Avery had two huge hits for us which forced them to walk her, which let us get the baserunner and Shelby put the ball in play and we made something happen.”

Houlihan was the offensive standout of the day. After Dimitrijevic’s RBI double scored Ellie McLaughlin in the top of the third to put the Knights up 1-0, Houlihan tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer.

Autumn Adamik drove in Ava Quinlan and Kendall Pearson with a single in the top of the sixth to put Central back up, this time 3-1, but in the bottom of the inning Houlihan came up huge again with a two-run homer with Mackenzie Farkas aboard, tying the game once more.

In the bottom of the eighth, Central walked Houlihan and opted instead to take on Fraser. She did her job and put Houlihan in position to make the winning play.

“When we’re in a situation like this every at-bat is a new at-bat,” Fraser said. “As a team we’ve got each others backs. Every bat is a new opportunity to do what you can. ... At the end of the day, it’s about not thinking too much. I just focus on the fact that I’m a little girl playing a game and I do what I can.”

For Lincoln-Way Central (1-1), it was a disappointing final result, but there were plenty of positives to build on in a still young season. They outhit the Tigers 8-3, and Dimitrijevic walked only one batter in addition to her massive strikeout total.

With that being said, they also stranded eight runners and had two errors, the second of which wound up costing the game. Coach Jeff Tarala knows what’s needed next for his team to win moving forward.

“I just told them that you need to learn from it,” Tarala said. “We had opportunities and we just didn’t do that. It’s early in the year, and we’ve got some young girls in the lineup that will learn. We have some older girls we rely on who, nine times out of 10, they come through in tough situations, and it just didn’t happen today. You just chalk it up to needing to get better and improving. Plus, West did a great job. Credit to them.”

West will play Lockport in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, and Central will play Providence in the consolation bracket at the same time.

Lockport 6, Providence 2: The Porters advanced to the semis after a 16-strikeout gem by pitcher Kelcie McGraw. Sarah Viar went 2 for 3 with a home run. Providence got a homer from Kailee O’Sulivan.

Lincoln-Way West 14, Joliet Catholic 7: LWW moves on to the other semifinal game, thanks in large part to 14 hits. Five players had multiple hits, and Jess Noga finished with two RBIs. JCA was led by Brooklyn Baranoski (3 for 4), Camryn Kinsella (HR, 3 RBIs) and Addy Rizzatto (2 for 4, 2 RBIs).

Minooka 6 Coal City 2: Minooka will take on Lincoln-Way West in the other semifinal Thursday after a huge day by Gracie Anderson (3 for 4) and Taylor Mackin (two RBI). Coal City was led by Madalyn Petersen (2 for 3, two RBI).