Hits won’t fall for C-G in loss

Cary-Grove shortstop Emma Gaulke throws the ball to first base for an out against DeKalb in the sixth inning of the IHSA Class 4A Guilford Sectional championship game Saturday in Rockford. DeKalb won, 3-0. (Randy Stukenberg – For the Northwest Herald)

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ROCKFORD – In the bottom of the second inning, Cary-Grove sophomore Lindsay Efflandt stepped into the batter’s box and drilled a pitch high and deep toward left-center field.

The ball seemed determined to sail over the fence and break a scoreless tie against the DeKalb Barbs in Saturday’s IHSA Class 4A Guilford Sectional final. But in its final descent, DeKalb center fielder Sabrina Killeen reached her glove over the fence to rob Efflandt of a go-ahead home run.

That was as close as C-G came to scoring in a 3-0 loss to the Barbs.

DeKalb freshman Katie Kowalski pitched a three-hit shutout to help her team advance to a Northern Illinois University Supersectional showdown against St. Charles North on Monday. It was the first shutout this season for the Trojans (30-2), who had not lost since Elgin edged them April 9 in the Prairie Ridge Tournament.

C-G coach Tammy Olson said she was proud of her players.

“We had an amazing season; 30-2,” Olson said. “From one to nine, we have done it throughout the year. It was going to take a team effort today, as well.

“We hit to where they were. We had a lot of long balls. We had great contact off [Kowalski], but it just wasn’t in the right spots.”

The game started as a pitcher’s duel between Efflandt and Kowalski. Neither ace allowed a run through four innings, although the Barbs managed at least one baserunner in each of those innings.

In the top of the fifth, DeKalb finally notched a run on a two-out single by Jessica Townsend that scored courtesy runner Lindsey Costliow. The Barbs extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth on a two-out, two-run double to the right-center field gap by No. 2 hitter Dani Thibault.

Meanwhile, the Trojans struggled to solve Kowalski. C-G shortstop Emma Gaulke went 2 for 3 with a double, and center fielder Alexis Haley singled in the sixth for the Trojans’ only other hit.

Kowalski retired 14 C-G hitters on fly balls and struck out four. Only two C-G hitters grounded out, one of which prompted a double play to end the fourth.

“We couldn’t adjust to the pitcher,” Gaulke said. “We couldn’t just bloop it over the infield like we needed to. They were all playing back, and we couldn’t make the adjustment.”

Efflandt (28-2) allowed nine hits, walked one and struck out eight. On Thursday, she threw a one-hitter against Jacobs to lift the Trojans to their second consecutive sectional final appearance.

Many C-G players wiped tears as DeKalb players and their families lingered on the field to celebrate.

“This is one of my favorite teams to ever be on,” Trojans third baseman Sara Markelonis said. “I’ve never been on a team that was so close to each other.”