“No Lincoln-Way West team has ever been here before. Let it be us.”

Those were shortstop Reese Rourke’s words to the rest of the Lincoln-Way West softball team before their sectional championship game against Lockport on Friday. This year marks just the fifth time the Warriors have advanced to the sectional.

Going against a Lockport team that had only allowed four hits in the playoffs presented a massive challenge. While Lincoln-Way West had “never been here,” Lockport regularly has been. The Porters advanced all the way to the state tournament just last season.

This year, though, it is as Rourke commanded: “Let it be us.”

The Porters gave up their first run of the postseason in just the second at bat of the game on a solo home run by Rourke. She added a second solo shot in the sixth, which wound up being the difference maker as Lincoln-Way West won its home sectional championship 2-1.

The Warriors now advance to the supersectional for the first time in program history.

“Since the opening of Lincoln-Way West we’ve been so proud of our program,” coach Heather Novak said. “The coaches and athletes over the years have set the foundation for Warrior softball to be here today. For this group to be able to experience this is really neat.”

“Thriller” may not sound like the most apt word to describe a 2-1 game, yet for Friday’s game it is. Aside from Rourke’s solo shot in the first, Lockport pitcher Bridget Faut was about as dominant as she’d been all postseason.

Faut had a perfect game against Bloom in the playoff opener, double-digit strikeouts in the regional championship against Plainfield Central and held Lincoln-Way East to two hits. She didn’t walk anyone Friday and gave up five hits while striking out four.

On the other side, Abby Brueggmann and the Warrior defense were equally sensational. Brueggmann bent a few times, loading the bases in the sixth and allowing a runner to reach third in the fifth. She only broke once, though, allowing an RBI single by Giavanna Diciolla to score Sofia Schmitt in the seventh.

That run came with just one out and Taylor Lane on second. With Lockport’s best hitter up in Alexis VanderTuuk, Brueggmann forced a pop out to left field and a fly out of Olivia Picciola to end the game and bring home a 4A sectional title.

“It just shows that our team is connected,” Brueggmann said. “I care about them. I’m not doing it for myself. I’m trying to play for them and give us another day together.”

The Warriors (27-7) will get at least one more day together on Monday in the supersectional against Edwardsville at Illinois Wesleyan. Lockport (24-13-1) will say goodbye to its seniors and begin preparing for next year.

“We had nine seniors who just truly led with their hearts and left it all out on the field today,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. “I couldn’t have asked anymore from them. They left the program better than when they got here. I’m thankful for them.”

The Warriors will play Edwardsville at 6:30 p.m. Monday. It’s new territory for them once again, but after sending out the message of “let it be us,” Rourke had a new message for her teammates after Friday.

“It’s going to be us,” Rourke said. “I’m confident.”