The West Central Heat softball squad had already made history on Tuesday with their first sectional tournament win since the Southern and Union school districts consolidated in 2005. The Heat were looking to make even more history on Friday night with a win over St. Bede Academy in the Williamsfield Class 1A sectional championship game.
It was St. Bede that drew first blood in the game, scoring within the first two batters of the game. Addie Bontz got things started on the third pitch of the game, lacing a triple to the right-center gap in the outfield. She would score on a rbi groundout by Ella Hermes for a quick 1-0 lead. St. Bede would get two more runners on in the frame before West Central freshman pitcher Addie Seitz would limit the damage to just one run by retiring the side on a groundout. St. Bede pitcher Reagan Stoudt was dealing through the first two innings, giving up no hits with four strikeouts.
West Central finally broke through in the bottom of the 3rd, scoring their only runs of the game. After a strikeout to start the inning, Heat leadoff batter Brynna Seitz reached on a slap-hit infield single to short for West Central’s first hit of the game. She was followed by a single to left by Addie Seitz. Mackenzy Ludington followed with a groundball that eluded the St. Bede first baseman and went into right field, scoring Brynna Seitz with the tying run and putting Addie Seitz on 3rd. With runners on the corners, West Central head coach Scott Swiler played small-ball to get the lead run across the plate. Bailey Ryan, whose rbi walk-off single won the sectional semifinal on Tuesday night, bunted back to St. Bede pitcher, Stoudt. Stoudt threw to catcher Bella Pinter but her tag on the sliding Addie Seitz was too late and the Heat had their first lead of the night, 2-1. Shelby Bowman then singled to lead the bases but a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat.
The score was still 2-1 when St. Bede mounted their biggest rally. Seitz retired the first two hitters before Grace Maschmann hits a dribbler to third baseman Ashley Meyer, who overthrew first base, allowing Maschmann to go to second. With the tying run on second base, Swiler takes a gamble, opting to intentionally walk Bontz to put the lead run on base. The gamble pays off, as Hermes flies out to leftfielder Sam Meyer.
After a mini-threat produced no runs in the bottom of the 6th, Seitz was three outs away from sending the Heat to a spot in the super sectionals. A leadoff single by Ryann Stoudt put the tying run on base for the second straight inning. Bella Pinter and Regan Stoudt followed with back-to-back strikeouts. That left it up to pinch hitter Maddy Dalton. Dalton hit a dribbler back to pitcher Addie Seitz who threw to first baseman Allie Strack for the third out, setting off a wild celebration on the field for the West Central Heat.
The Heat (28-6) will take on the winner of the South Beloit sectional final on Saturday between Dakota and Forreston on Monday morning at Sterling High School. Hear the game on the radio on AM 1330 WRAM, on your computer at radiomonmouth.com or on the free 1330 WRAM app on your smartphone or tablet.
For the replay of the radio broadcast of the game, click HERE
