La Salle Junior League softball places second in state

The La Salle Junior League softball team placed second in the state tournament.

After losing to LaGrange in the second round of the state tournament, the La Salle Junior League softball team bounced back to advance to the title series, finishing second after a 3-0 loss to Tri County on Tuesday. “I can’t put into words what it meant to place second,” La Salle coach Paul Wisen said. “It means the world to us.

Honestly, this group has been working at this for years. “It’s a special group of kids who play with emotion. They play for each other.

Seeing them in tears not because they lost but because the season was over says all we need to know. They play with so much pride.” After losing to LaGrange on Saturday, La Salle fell into the losers’ bracket and had to place twice on Sunday, beating Huntley 11-0 and Rochelle 4-3 to set up a rematch with LaGrange on Monday with the winners advancing to the championship round.

“Keeping the same mindset we have as a team helps us handle losses,” Wisen said about how La Salle bounced back. “Although we don’t like losing, it’s part of the game. Staying positive and remembering our goal kept us grounded after the loss.

LaGrange is a very good team. Trying just to keep pressure on them on offense was our recipe. Our pitching with Gemma Sobkowiak and Preslee Harmon always keeps us in games, so timely hits and making defensive plays when the ball is our play is our focus.”

La Salle beat LaGrange 11-5 in the rematch. La Salle started and finished strong with four runs in the first inning and six in the seventh. Mia Walker was 3 for 3 with a double, two runs and an RBI, Harmon tripled, drove in three runs and scored two runs, Quinn Krug was 2 for 3 with a double, three runs and an RBI, and Sobkowiak was 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI.

Sobkowiak earned the win in the circle, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits while striking out 10 batters and walking one in a complete game. “The key to winning the rematch was a total team effort,” Wisen said. “We were tired and banged up, but playing with heart kept us going.

Grinding out at-bats and playing one inning at a time. Not getting too high or too low. Doing what we know we are capable of.

Doing unselfish things like taking a key walk, sacrifice bunting, taking a hit by pitch or a timely hit. Everyone contributed. Nobody wanted to be done playing.

“Our goal of making the state championship was close, and we were willing to do everything and give everything we had to get there. It was really just about effort and commitment, and every single girl show us they had it.” La Salle went into the championship series needing to beat Tri County on Tuesday and again on Wednesday to win the double-elimination tournament.

La Salle outhit Tri County 4-2 but couldn’t push any runs across. Krug, Sobkowiak, Harmon and Isabelle Alderson each had a hit. Sobkowiak and Harmon both pitched.

Sobkowiak gave up one run on one hit with two strikeouts and one walk in two innings, while Harmon allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit with seven strikeouts and five walks in four innings. “Our community support has been immeasurable,” Wisen said. “We did our best to represent our district and La Salle softball.

Often teams are defined by wins and losses. Placing second doesn’t define us. In fact, it shows our growth.

Whatever our kids do in the future, whether it be continuing to play softball or not, are going to be amazing things. They are a special group and will go on to do great things. “We had so much fun.

It was something none of us will ever forget. This memory of placing second in state will live with us forever.”