When OPRF softball coach Mel Kolbusz found out the Huskies’ Class AA State tournament opponent would be Edwardsville, a school located 280 miles from 201 N. Scoville Avenue, he used the internet as a scout of sorts to learn more about the Tigers.
After Friday’s 1-0 loss in the quarterfinals at Eastside Centre in East Peoria on Friday, Kolbusz probably felt more like doing a Google search on “How to avoid leaving runners on base.”
The Huskies (33-7) managed four hits, four walks and nine runners on base but went scoreless during the season-ending setback.
“We had runners on base every inning, but we just couldn’t get the key hit when we needed it,” Kolbusz said. “We hit a few balls well that [Edwardsville] just caught. When you get down to the final eight teams, all of them are really good. It was a well played ballgame by both teams. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t.”
In the first inning, Edwardsville (37-4) parlayed two hits via Julie Honneger and Michelle Weems (.513) with a run-producing ground out to give the Tigers the lone run of the game.
The Huskies’ best scoring chance occurred in the fifth when Alex Morocco smashed a double. With two outs, Mattie Prodanovic (.553 batting average) hit an infield single to the Tigers’ shortstop who threw out Morocco at the plate to end the frame.
“Obviously, our run production was not good,” said Prodanovic, who will play field hockey next year at Cornell. “We went into the game with a lot of confidence. At the start of the game we felt good because we had runners in scoring position. As the game went on though, it became frustrating because we were not scoring in the late innings. You could hear the announcer mention the amount of runners we left on base.”
Prodanovic, a member of the 2005 OPRF state title team, led the Huskies with two hits. Pitcher Seana Stillson worked five strong innings, allowing six hits while fanning seven.
Although the Huskies did not reach their dream of a second state championship in three years, OPRF made a state-record sixth consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight, along with capturing a West Suburban Conference (Silver) crown and defeating cross-town Fenwick 6-5 in the playoffs.
Individual honors went to Morocco, Prodanovic, Stillson, Molly Sinnott, Mara Blesoff and Lauren Gonzalez, who were selected as all-conference players. Stillson, the Huskies’ ace who possesses a live arm and nasty off speed pitch, also earned All-State Honorable Mention. The junior is slated to play college softball at Loyola.
While OPRF loses five talented players: Mary Zinni, Lindsey MacWilliams, Maura Waldron, Prodanovic, and the DePaul-bound Morocco, Kolbusz has the Huskies enviably positioned in a reloading rather than rebuilding mode every season.
“We always have a solid group of players,” Kolbusz said. “We’ll have our top three pitchers back, along with several seniors that have starting experience.”
Stillson (16-6, 0.87 ERA) and Sara Hutchinson (12-1) hope to finish their high school softball careers with a state championship next spring. Carolyn Pluta offers depth to an excellent pitching staff.
Coming off stellar sophomore seasons, Gonzalez (.342 batting average) and Blesoff (.330), will pace next year’s offense. Sinnott (.302) and designated player Kim Grimes (.300) also are expected to provide plenty of pop to the Huskies’ formidable lineup.
Factor in a JV sophomore team that finished 30-3 this season, and it’s evident Kolbusz and the Huskies already have their sights set on a return engagement to the Elite Eight next year for a seventh consecutive time.