Richards tips Mother McAuley

Updated: June 4, 2011 7:05PM

The Richards softball team is feeling pretty good about itself right now. And the junior duo of Brianna Lebeau and Hannah Jenkins has a lot to do with that condition.

Lebeau fired a two-hitter and Jenkins provided the only score of the game as Richards captured the Class 4A Morton Sectional with a 1-0 victory over Mother McAuley.

Richards will face Benet Academy at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Hinsdale South Supersectional with the chance to go to the state finals for the first time in school history.

“The whole team is in a great place mentally,’’ Richards coach Julie Folliard said. “Every player on this team is playing for each other. This is a very unselfish team.’’

Lebeau was masterful throughout the game. She retired the side in order in four of the seven innings and had a no-hitter that was broken up in the fifth. She allowed no walks and let her defense work for her (she had only two strikeouts). Lebeau worked out of the only serious threat in the fifth when the Mighty Macs, who finished at 29-9, had runners on the corners with one out. She induced a soft line out and a flyout to hold McAuley at bay.

That was quite the contrast from the first meeting between the teams in which McAuley poured seven runs across the plate against her although there were several errors in that game.

“I think we knew how they played from the first time,’’ Lebeau said. “We worked on it in practice. The only adjustment that I made was mental.’’

Jenkins came through with three hits for the Bulldogs (32-2). Her biggest one was a home run over the 195-foot marker in center field in the fourth inning. She also was flawless at shortstop with three putouts.

“I was waiting for someone to break open the door for us,’’ Jenkins said. “I feel so honored that it was me who did it. This is the best team that I’ve ever played on. It is so positive and everyone picks each other up.’’

Ashley Rogers battled Lebeau down to the wire, giving up only the home run to Richards. The junior struck out four and walked only one. She also broke up Lebeau’s no-hitter with a double to the left-center gap in the fifth inning.

“Ashley has been fantastic all year,’’ McAuley coach Colleen Kilduff said. “She will blame herself but in no way was this loss her fault. She had a great game.’’

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