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IMSA edges out Aurora Central
Updated: May 23, 2011 10:08PM
Melissa Perkins made the big pitches. Jess Grady had the big hit. And the Illinois Math & Science Academy softball team squeaked out a 3-2 postseason win for the second year in a row.
With the win, the 14-8 Titans advance to a second-round game today against the top-seeded hosts in the IHSA Class 3A Yorkville Regional.
“It’s been OK, I’ve been on and off,” Grady, a senior first baseman, said of her season after going 3-for-3. It included a two-run double in the third that allowed the Titans to rally from a 2-0 deficit.
“I’ve had some good games and some not-so-good, but we won our first playoff game so that’s good,” Grady continued. “My coach said to hit them both in and I did. I guess I figured out how to follow instructions.”
Her gap shot to left-center field sent Ashley Smith and Sam Donermeyer home. Smith had walked and Donermeyer reached on an infield error.
Grady then moved to third on Cee Cee Countryman’s sacrifice bunt and was able to score when a pickoff attempt from catcher Katie Callahan hit her and rolled into short left field.
All three runs off Charger starter and hard-luck loser Sarah Ryan (4-9) were unearned.
“That’s been her boon,” said ACC coach Jim Hallahan, whose team closes 5-17. “Her ERA is 3.37. We have 97 errors and only 75 runs scored.”
Perkins (13-7), who had beaten the Chargers 5-2 last Thursday, stranded a pair of runners in the first inning then gave up two runs in the second on a Dani Blake triple and Claire Tack’s safety squeeze bunt.
“She’s quick,” Hallahan said of Perkins. “We did some extra batting cage work before we came over here today and tried to focus on getting quick hands to the ball, which is what happened on Dani’s triple. I told the girls to ‘Let (Perkins) provide the power, you provide the contact.’”
Perkins, who gave up just four hits but struck out 10 while walking one, stranded a pair of Charger runners in the fourth and again in the fifth. She retired the final eight batters she faced, five on strikeouts.
“She’s one of the faster pitchers we’ve seen, but she was hittable,” said Blake.
Perkins, who is battling a cold, had trouble establishing any rhythm, said IMSA coach Sam Bonafede.
“She was off at the beginning,” he said. “We preach to her to throw her offspeed stuff. You need to at least get it in their head there’s a possibility it’s coming, but we played Thursday so that gave them a chance to get familiar with her. But we got familiar with their girl, too.”
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