Houda looks to lead Lisle to final

Updated: June 2, 2011 6:56PM

The Lisle senior class is graduating Friday afternoon. Bekka Houda and a couple of her classmates are going to miss the pomp and circumstance.

They have an awfully good excuse.

“I was thinking before, would I rather be in hot and sweltering gym or be down in East Peoria,” the senior star pitcher said. “I think I know where we’d rather be. We’ve been waiting for this day.”

Houda’s one-hit masterpiece over Momence propelled the Lions into the Class 2A semifinals Friday at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria for the first semifinal against Morrison. It marks the team’s first Downstate appearance since the 2007 team qualified for the Class A quarterfinals.

With tears streaking down her face after she recorded the final out against Momence, Houda had reason to celebrate especially hard.

The Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit avenged two earlier pitching defeats that denied the Lions the two previous years. Houda transferred to Lisle after playing at Lockport as a freshman.

“Against Coal City two years ago, they were a great team and we just didn’t make plays,” she said. “Last year we played Morrison in the supersectional after we beat them during the season and we came in very overconfident and we made a lot of physical and mental mistakes.”

The symmetry could not have been planned. The Lions (28-4) get a shot at redemption, facing the team that knocked them out of the state tournament, 3-1, in the supersectional last year.

“To be honest, I haven’t even thought of them,” Lisle coach Jennifer Pommato said. “I’ve been taking a one-game-at-a-time approach.”

With a 21-2 mark, Houda is the team’s centerpiece, but hardly the whole story. The Lions have excellent speed and athleticism with freshman Summer Stitt, Tori Harris and a deep lineup with junior catcher Grace Riley (.500 batting average), junior third baseman Mackenzie Buchelt (.374, two HR, 37 RBI) and junior centerfielder Melanie Early (.407).

Coach Tammy Deter’s Fillies enter the semifinal with a 29-7 mark, including a victory over defending class 3A champion Metamora and a Lisle Invitational win over Rockridge, which beat the Lions. Kaitlyn and Shannon Finneran have combined for nine home runs and the team has a collective .342 batting average. Morrison also features two excellent pitchers in Danielle Stralow (14-5) and Christine Wiersema (16-2).

Houda said the team is thrilled at going downstate. She emphasized the trip is not about fun and excitement.

“I’m going down to win the whole thing,” she said.

Shelbyville faces Alton Marquette in the other semifinal bracket.

In the Class 1A field, Danville Schlarman faces Hardin Calhoun in the first semifinal. Toledo Cumberland and Monmouth United meet in the lower bracket.

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