Plainfield S. sets 'W' stage

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It's not every day you get to ride on Cloud Nine. In fact, for most people it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience -- if ever.

In a matter of four hours Saturday, seven members of Plainfield South's softball team got to buckle themselves in for the ride not once, but twice, the first time on the softball stage and then on the graduation stage.

The latter was expected, the former -- a sectional title by the No. 6 seed Cougars following a 3-2 defeat of No. 4 seed Naperville Central -- was not.

But then again, neither was last Saturday's 3-1 regional clincher over No. 3 seed Downers Grove South or Thursday's 2-1 sectional semifinal victory over No. 2 Lockport.

"The girls are on a mission, I guess," Plainfield South coach Tara Singler said. "I think we have been under the radar."

Not anymore.

The Cougar storm cloud keeps building in strength and no doubt will be a fiery red on the radar screen by the time Monday rolls around. That is when Plainfield South and Mary Giancarlo will look to strike again at the Benedictine University Supersectional facing Lake Park at 5:30 p.m.

Giancarlo struck for the second time in as many games Saturday. The senior catcher delivered not only South's first-ever sectional title in any sport of its six-year life, but also the first sectional title in softball for any District 202 program in its 35-year existence with her second straight game-winning hit.

Giancarlo's two-out double to the right-center gap on a 1-2 pitch in the fifth inning scored Jackie Frey all the way from first base to complete South's unlikely rally from an early 2-0 deficit.

Denting the scoreboard looked to be a menacing task after the first three innings for Plainfield South (26-8), with Naperville Central pitcher Natalie Wunderlich being nearly untouchable -- a hit batsmen -- the first 10 batters through the order.

Five of Wunderlich's first six outs went without Plainfield South putting the ball in play, while the other four were all managed by the infield. Added to that, South had never been faced with an uphill challenge during the first three stages of its improbable postseason run.

Finally, Frey got the Beatles', er, the Cougars' Magical Mystery Bus revved up with a triple to right field to open the fourth.

"It was just a slap and it flew," said Frey, who also started the fifth-inning rally with her two-out walk. "It felt amazing."

The amazing part was yet to come with South scoring all three of its runs after two outs. Frey scored first on an Alexis Alvarez rip to left and starting pitcher Alyssa Schrader (hit by pitch) scored one batter later to tie the game on Gaby Liberatore's bloop single to right.

"I was just trying to make contact," Liberatore said. "I was nervous a little bit because the game was on the line and we had to tie it up. When I was running and I saw the ball drop, I said to myself, 'Oh, yes, I got a hit."

And Naperville Central didn't.

After the second inning when the Redhawks (25-7) scored both of their runs on a dropped fly ball with two outs, Schrader (20-5) allowed only one other batter to reach base (fifth-inning leadoff walk) among the final 17 she faced thanks to a strong defense behind her highlighted by shortstop Krista Matsui. Schrader allowed only two hits and the walk, while striking out five, including the capper.

"We're just on top of the world right now," said an excited Frey.

Being on Cloud Nine will do that for you.