Knights on a No. 9 cloud

Lincoln-Way Central's Jackie Dugan and Gabe Govoni celebrate after beating Barrington.
(Matt Marton/SouthtownStar)

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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — There are few softball teams that can match Lincoln-Way Central in terms of winning — averaging close to 30 wins a season the last decade — or elimination frustration in terms of the state tournament — never having won a sectional before last Saturday.

But No. 9 hitter Amanda Rafferty came though with an RBI single for the second day in a row and helped turn a jinx into a state championship.

The Knights grabbed a two-run lead and held on to defeat Barrington 4-1 in the Class 4A state title game Saturday night at EastSide Centre.

‘‘I don’t care what I did in the regular season [six RBI],’’ Rafferty said. ‘‘I’m glad I did what I did here. It’s a dream come true.’’

Desi DeMarco reached on an error to lead off the fifth and a sacrifice and an infield grounder put her on third with two outs when Rafferty, one of seven starting seniors for the Knights, smashed a 2-2 pitch up the middle for an RBI single.

In the sixth, Lincoln-Way Central (33-9) loaded the bases with two outs when Gina Brown, who had the sacrifice bunt in the fifth, got an infield single to deep short that made it 2-0.

The Fillies (31-7) got on the board in the bottom of the sixth on a home run by Michal Jane Maropis that snapped a streak of 26 scoreless innings by Knights junior pitcher Jackie Dugan.

‘‘This is the best day of my life,’’ Dugan said. ‘‘I knew we could do it. There is no jinx anymore.’’

In the seventh, Rachel Larson’s RBI single scored Rafferty, who reached on an error, and a sacrifice fly by Courtney Dunker drove in Cassie Redman, who had singled.

‘‘I don’t have the vocabulary to say how I feel,’’ said Redman, who is headed to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi said. ‘‘It’s amazing. I am ecstatic. It just feels ridiculous.’’

‘‘It is amazing to win it all,’’ Larson said. ‘‘All the mornings we were up at 4:30 paid off.’’

Dugan (19-7) scattered six hits and struck out seven. The Knights had eight hits, two each by Redman and Gabe Gavoni.

‘‘I’m proud of what we accomplished and I’m proud of these kids and what they have done and the way they have represented themselves for the school,’’ said veteran coach Dick Mandella, in his eighth year as the Knights coach. ‘‘It was a great game and I thought Dugan pitched outstanding.’’

For the second year in a row, Barrington lost in the state championship game.

‘‘We didn’t finish the way we wanted,’’ Barrington coach Perry Peterson said. ‘‘But don’t take anything away from Lincoln-Way Central. They had talented kids.’’