Late JCA rally falls just short in loss to Minooka

JOLIET – Just a few days ago - Thursday of last week, to be exact - Minooka collected 11 hits against Joliet Catholic Academy in the WJOL Softball Tournament.

The trouble for the Indians was they were able to score only one run in the loss.

That wasn’t the case Tuesday when the teams met again.

Minooka rapped out 15 hits and made better use of them in a 10-9 victory that saw the potential tying run for JCA thrown out trying to score to end the game.

The Indians (6-4) led 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, but JCA (4-4) made things very interesting.

Molly Ryan (3 for 4) led off the inning with a double to center and scored on a single by Addy Rizzatto (2 for 4, triple, RBI). Addie Fanter followed with a single that sent Rizzatto to third, with Fanter taking second on the throw. Keigan Sprovieri then singled down the third base line to bring home Rizzatto and Fanter to make it 10-8. An out later, Callan Kinsella reached on an error, with courtesy runner Kelli O’Hara scoring to make it 10-9 and Kinsella reaching second.

That brought up Emma Mackey, who laid down a bunt in front of the plate. Minooka pitcher Marina Hristov, who had the rare distinction of earning the win and the save, fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Olivia Boyd, who was covering first. Kinsella rounded third and headed toward home, but Boyd was alert and fired to catcher Gracie Anderson. Anderson chased Kinsella back toward third, finally diving to tag her out before she could get there and end the game.

“It was a little closer at the end than we wanted,” said Anderson, a Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit who went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. “Liv [Boyd} made a perfect throw, and I was kind of hoping to just turn and tag the runner. But she went back to third and I had to chase her.

“After losing to them last week at the tournament, we wanted to let them know that we aren’t a 2-1-losing team. We’re a get-a-lot-of-hits-and-score-a-lot-of-runs team.”

The Indians did indeed get a lot of hits and runs. Besides Anderson’s production, Karli McMillin went 3 for 4; Addisonn Crumly was 2 for 3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs; Jaelle Hamilton was 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI; Cadence Murphy was 2 for 4 with an RBI; and Payton Psinas was 2 for 3.

Hristov started in the circle and worked the first five innings. She gave way to Emma Best, who retired the side in order in the sixth but was relieved by Hristov after the first four hitters of the seventh.

“We did a much better job scoring today than we did the last time we played them,” Minooka coach Mark Brown said. “We had a good approach today. We made their pitchers throw strikes, and we were able to barrel some up. We have some things to clean up in the field and baserunning. JCA is a scrappy team and took advantage of the mistakes we made.

“Marina was great coming back in. I didn’t even have to ask her. I just looked at her and she took her jacket off. She was ready to get back in there.”

JCA fell behind 4-0 after an inning and a half but scored three in the bottom of the second to make it 4-3.

The Angels tied it with a run in the third when Addie Fanter hit a grounder to score Rizzatto, who led off with a triple. Minooka went ahead 7-4 with three in the fourth, highlighted by back-to-back RBI doubles by Crumly and Hamilton.

The Indians added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Anderson, but JCA got it back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Kinsella (2 for 4).

Crumly launched a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to put the Indians ahead 10-5.

“We slept through the first couple of innings,” JCA coach Tina Kinsella said. “We knew Minooka would put the ball in play, but we were asleep on defense early. But we had them on the ropes in that last inning. We beat them last week by a run and were within a run of them today. They are a good 4A team, so that lets our girls know that they can compete with anybody.”