Skyhawks score 10 runs in 7th

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RICHMOND – Johnsburg sophomore Mary Kate Wright had not reached base in her first two at-bats Wednesday in the IHSA Class 3A Richmond-Burton Regional.

However, Wright made her last two at-bats count, hitting a two-run single to break a tie in the seventh inning and then adding a three-run double later in the inning as the third-seeded Skyhawks softball team scored 10 times in the seventh in defeating No. 2 seed Marian Central, 12-2.

Johnsburg (15-17) will play top-seeded Antioch at 11 a.m. Saturday in the regional final. The Hurricanes (10-17) scored first in the opening inning when Mary Belluomini, who had three hits, scored when catcher Jordan Hauck’s throw back to pitcher Amanda Daly went wild.

Johnsburg responded with runs in the third and fourth to take the lead.

Mary Chamberlain singled in Melissa McDonald in the third, and Megan Becker’s sacrifice fly scored Daly in the fourth. Daly dominated the middle innings, striking out eight consecutive batters at one point before Marian got to her in the sixth inning to tie the score.

Bizzy Levy, who took the loss for the Hurricanes, tripled with one out and scored on a wild pitch by Daly later in the inning.

In the seventh, Johnsburg sent 15 batters to the plate, getting 10 hits after having only three hits the first six innings.

Johnsburg coach Wally Warner said that his young team started hitting when it was needed most.

“Our youngsters came through, our sophomores started it,” Warner said. “We stuck with them all year, and they all came through at the right time.”

Becker started the inning with a walk, and then McDonald singled. Wright then singled in both runners to give Johnsburg a 4-2 lead.

Later in the inning, after Johnsburg had scored four more runs, Wright doubled to the wall with the bases loaded to blow the game wide open.

Wright said that it was a great feeling to knock in five runs in one inning.

“It was really exciting; we just kind of got going,” Wright said. “As soon as one of us starts hitting, then all of us start hitting.”

Marian coach Dan Jacobson said that his team couldn’t stop Johnsburg’s hitting attack in the final inning.

“[Johnsburg] really just started hitting the ball, and we kept getting farther and farther back,” Jacobson said. “I told the team after the inning, they scored 10 on you, you can score 10 on them. We did put some pressure on [Daly] but not enough.”