Providence’s IHSA Class 3A softball title bid falls just short in extra innings

PEORIA — For those that have followed the Providence Catholic softball team this season, what happened Saturday in the Class 3A state championship game came as no surprise.

As has been the Celtics’ habit, they fell behind early in the game, only to put on a stirring comeback. Several times this year, that has been a formula for success.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, it wasn’t quite enough as Chatham Glenwood won the title with a 3-2 victory in eight innings at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

It was the best finish ever for a Providence team, after placing third in both 2012 and 2018.

The Titans (37-1) threatened early, putting runners on second and third with one out in the top of the first. Ava Bobb then hit a popup between first and home. Providence pitcher Macie Robbins sprinted to the first-base line and dove for the ball, making a spectacular snow-cone catch before retiring the next hitter to get out of the jam.

“I didn’t know if I was going to get to it or not,” Robbins said. “I just went all-out, dove and the ball stayed in my glove.”

Robbins worked out of another jam in the second before Chatham finally got on the board in the third. With two outs, Bobb doubled, then scored on an error on a ball hit by Sophia Feld, who had a hand in all three of the Titans’ runs. She led off the top of the sixth with a solo homer to put her team ahead 2-0.

Trailing late in a game is nothing new to the Celtics, nor something they could not overcome, and they showed that in the bottom of the sixth.

Bella Cortes led off the inning with a triple to right, then came home on a ground-rule double by Angelina Cole that bounced over the center field fence. After a sacrifice bunt by Mia Sanfratello, freshman Aleigh Hill singled (her second hit of the game) to bring home Cole and tie the score.

“I thought the ball I hit was going to go out,” said Cole, a junior who has already committed to Western Michigan. “This was a real fun, real exciting game. There’s no shame in losing to a team like Chatham that only lost once all year.

“It’s great that we finished the best a Providence team ever has, but it also gives us motivation to come back again next year and finish it.”

No one was happier to see the Celtics tie the game than Robbins.

“I was just thinking that this team never gives up,” she said. “It’s so fun to be in the dugout with this team, and I imagine that we are fun to watch because we never give up. When you get to this level, every team has talent. What makes us special is that it feels like a family. There aren’t any cliques on the team and everyone gets along well and are good friends.

“We are so young, and we are going to use this as an extra push to come back again next year.”

Neither team scored in the seventh before Feld proved to be a thorn in Providence’s side yet again. She led off the top of the eighth with a single, then was bunted to second by her sister Sydney. Winning pitcher Irie Lohrenz then hit a long single to center that scored Feld for a 3-2 lead. Courtesy runner Taylor Dalby stole second, but Robbins got out of the inning without further damage.

Robbins went the full eight innings for the Celtics, allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out four. Lohrenz, meanwhile, also went the entire way, allowing seven hits and no walks while fanning three. She retired the Celtics in order in the bottom of the eighth to clinch the title.

“It was a great game,” Providence coach Jim Holba said. “They had one more hit and made one more defensive play than we did. We both made a lot of big defensive plays when they were needed. There’s nothing for our girls to be ashamed of.

“This was a great experience for our girls. Hopefully, the feeling of a loss will keep them motivated. The state tournament is a unique animal, and, even though we will bring most of the team back, there is no guarantee that we will be back here. We aren’t going to sneak up on people next year. We’re going to get everyone’s best shot every time out, which is good.

“Macie really had a great year. We saw early in the season what a competitor she is, and that she never backs down. It also helps that she is such an athlete on the mound and she makes middle-infielder types of defensive plays. And Angelina Cole came through again, which is why she is in the middle of the lineup.”