Down early, Jacobs answers

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HUNTLEY – When the game was over, it was difficult to believe that Jacobs’ softball team ever trailed Hononegah.

The Golden Eagles were three runs down in the top of the fourth inning before their bats caught fire and the game started to unravel for Hononegah. Jacobs scored five runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and four in the seventh, lighting up Hononegah pitchers Stevie Atterbury and Taryn Gille for 15 hits Thursday and earning a 10-3 victory in an IHSA Class 4A Huntley Sectional semifinal.

The Eagles (22-10) will face Cary-Grove at 10 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title.

“We know we can always come back, and when you get further into the playoffs you know every team is going to be able to score against you,” said Jacobs senior center fielder Sara Jacobson, who smacked a two-out solo home run in the seventh inning.

“You have to be able to answer, and we knew we could.”

Jacobs junior pitcher Marissa Lombardo (15-3) remained stoic when the Eagles fell behind early. Lombardo barely blinked when she gave up a no-out, two-run homer to Hononegah’s ViVi Marquez in the bottom of the second that gave the Indians (23-11) a 2-0 advantage.

Lombardo retired the next three batters to get out of the inning and never struggled again.

Lombardo tossed a four-hitter and was touched only once after the Eagles took the lead in the fourth.

“I just thought, ‘OK, I’ll go get the next person,’” Lombardo said. “ ... Once we were up, I was so much more comfortable.”

“I have to give a lot of credit to her and our pitching coach, Chris Taylor, who has just really given her a lot of confidence and is coming up with good solid game planning,” Jacobs coach Jeremy Bauer said. “ ... Then, of course, Marissa has a ton of talent, keeping hitters off balance and just doing the right thing.”

Jacobson started her afternoon with a two-out, two-run double in the fourth that drove in catcher Ashley Morales and shortstop Jenna Teson to give Jacobs a 5-3 lead.

Junior third baseman Kara Arceneaux tripled with one out in the sixth to drive in Jacobson to make it a 6-3 game. Nicky Chapa and Morales (3 for 3) each scored runs in the seventh before Jacobson’s two-run shot drove in her and Teson (2 for 5, double, two RBIs), who had singled.

Jacobson’s homer nicked the foul pole in right field and fell into the outfield. The umpires didn’t immediately rule the blast a home run, but did so after a conference.

“They’re usually close to the foul line,” said Jacobson, “but I heard it [clank] and I thought, ‘What is that?’ It felt good to get one out.”