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Oak Forest downs Lemont for third time
Updated: June 1, 2011 8:46PM
Host Oak Forest got what it wanted Wednesday, namely a 4-1 Class 3A sectional semifinal victory over Lemont.
Lemont? The Indians wanted the third time to be the charm. They settled for walking off the field having given the Bengals the sternest challenge in their three meetings.
“Oh, they did awesome,” Bengals pitcher Emily Norton said. “I’m not going to lie. I was nervous. I knew they were a good team and I knew they were pumped up. This game could have gone either way.”
The Bengals (29-4) move on to Saturday’s sectional title game against the winner of the Evergreen Park-Joliet Catholic semifinal.
Lemont’s season ended at 26-8.
Norton, who surrendered a first-inning run, finished with a four-hitter, striking out 11 while walking just one. Jourdan Skirha (2-for-2, 2 runs), Ashley Ventrella (2-for-3, RBI) and Emily Naegele (double) all stepped up on offense for the Bengals.
Lemont, which struggled in the regular season vs. Oak Forest in 6-1 and 9-0 losses, came out aggressively and put the Bengals in a position they often haven’t been: trailing.
Erica Nagel opened the game by reaching on a hard chopper to the circle that Norton couldn’t cleanly handle. She then stole second and went to third when Naegele’s throw from behind the plate sailed into center field. Nagel was on third with two outs when Carli Kavanagh beat out an RBI infield single.
Norton had further problems in the second, hitting leadoff batter Alyssa Stube. First baseman Emily Missagia followed by making a huge play on a bunt by Marjorie Dallman, catching the ball on the fly and firing to second baseman Sam Bal covering at first to double off Stube.
The next batter, Jenna Halper doubled down the right-field line. Norton stranded her with a strikeout.
The Bengals tied it in the bottom of the second when Skirha ripped a one-out double to the gap in right-center and eventually scored on a base hit up the middle by Ventrella. It was Ventrella’s biggest contribution since being called up from the sophomore team near the end of the regular season.
“I’ve just been trying to hit my best, trying to prove myself to the team that I can go out there and have things work out,” Ventrella said. “I’ve had a few good hits since I’ve been on the varsity, but this definitely felt like a big one.”
Oak Forest threatened in the third, but a big play by Stube at second for Lemont resulted in a double play. Naegele, however, kept up the pressure, leading off the fourth with a line double to left. She would score on an RBI groundout by Hannah Prucak. The last two Bengals runs were provided by Skirha, who walked in the fourth and singled in the sixth, scoring both times on wild pitches by Lemont’s Becka Anderson.
Anderson, however, had much to feel positive about. Twice she retired the Bengals in order. In two others innings she minimized damage by striking out three batters.
“We came out confident today,” Anderson said. “In the other two games we were hesitant, scared. But today, even though we lost, we still pulled through. I’m proud of everybody.”
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