3 Joliet-area softball teams still chasing state crowns

When Lincoln-Way Central downed Minooka, 11-1, in a nonconference matchup April 23, it would have been difficult to imagine a scenario where the two would meet again in the Class 4A state tournament semifinals.

But the unexpected rematch indeed materialized, as the two teams again will do battle with the right to play for the state championship on the line in a semifinal game at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Complex.

The winner will advance to play the winner of the other semifinal between Marist and Huntley in the state championship game about 5 p.m.

In the Class 3A tournament, Lemont will lock horns with Ridgewood at 10 a.m. Thursday, also at the Louisville Slugger Complex. A win would place Lemont in the 2 p.m. state championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between Highland and Sterling.

Class 4A tournament

Lincoln-Way Central’s place in the state tournament was somewhat expected, considering the Knights have been a staple in the Illinois Coaches Association poll for the majority of the season.

The Knights (29-3) started the season by rattling off 15 consecutive victories before falling in back-to-back games and then pieced together another nine-game winning streak before losing to Marist in the regular-season capper. That game might have been going on for days had the two teams not agreed to use international tiebreaker rules to conclude the game.

Lincoln-Way Central has received a monster season from junior Lyndsey Grein, a Virginia Tech recruit. Grein has dominated from the circle, striking out 275 while amassing 27 wins and posting a scant 0.75 ERA. She has thrown all but 22 of the Lincoln-Way Central innings this season.

Grein also isn’t just a torment to opponents from the circle, she’s a menace with the bat as well. Grein is hitting .429 with 23 extra-base hits (13 doubles, 10 home runs). And as good as those numbers are, she might not be Lincoln-Way Central’s most dangerous hitter.

That role easily could go to Carly Alvers who leads the Knights in batting average (.433), home runs (11) and RBIs (39).

Other dangerous hitters for the Knights are McKenzie Murdock (.372), Grace Kmak (.368), Kathryn Ponton (.366) and Sydra Seville (.365).

Minooka’s road hasn’t been so smooth.

The Indians were only 3-7 through the first 10 games of the season, and although they pieced together a pretty strong second half of the season, winning seven of nine at one point, the No. 6 seed in an eight-team regional didn’t exactly exude confidence that it somehow would find its way to Peoria.

But despite being the lower seed in every postseason game it played except one (it played a No. 8 seed, Pekin, in the regional title game), Minooka showed a knack for getting it done when it counted. Every postseason game was a nail-biter, and, oddly enough, the most comfortable victory margin came in the supersectional game against Yorkville, a 5-1 win.

Minooka’s chief weapon offensively has been the long ball. Ten players have slugged at least one home run this season.

Allie Timm has done the lion’s share of Minooka’s pitching, collecting 85 strikeouts to go along with a 2.48 ERA.

The other semifinal features Huntley and Marist, both entrants in the most recently contested softball state tournament, in 2019. Huntley beat Marist, 3-2, in the semifinal round of that tournament and went on to beat St. Charles East, 1-0, to win the state title.

Class 3A tournament

Lemont is back in the state tournament for the first time since 1989, when it finished third in Class A.

If the return trip is going to be successful, it likely will be because of continued strong pitching. Sage Mardjetko has been fantastic for Lemont as its lead pitcher, as she has allowed only four earned runs all season in 110 innings pitched. Mardjetko also has notched 239 strikeouts.

Run prevention obviously has been a strength for Lemont, which allowed only six runs during a 21-game winning streak during the regular season. Lemont has allowed only one run in the four games of its postseason to date.

But the offense doesn’t lack either. Frankie Rita is the leading hitter for Lemont, hitting at a .562 clip.

Ridgewood (24-4) is Lemont’s semifinal opponent. The Rebels have gotten hot at the right time and are riding a 17-game winning streak as they head to state.

The other semifinal features Highland (23-1) and Sterling (17-7).