The Oak Park and River Forest High School softball team woke up Saturday morning with the realization the Huskies were just seven innings away from immortality. Long live OPRF softball after Saturday’s riveting and historic 1-0 win against Lincoln-Way East in the IHSA Class 4A state finals at EastSide Centre in Peoria.
OPRF senior catcher Mariah Scott crushed a dramatic game-winning homer in the top of the seventh inning for the win.
“I knew I hit the sweet spot and I just took off as fast as I could,” Scott said. “I heard everyone screaming and I knew it was gone.
“It feels good to go out like this. Everyone wanted it as much as we did last year. I’m so happy it ended like this.”
In the bottom of the seventh with one runner and two outs, OPRF starting pitcher Chardonnay Harris fittingly, fanned Lincoln-Way East third baseman Lexi Krause for the final out.
Cue Huskies’ Hysteria, courtesy of arguably the best battery (Scott & Harris) in the state and an incredibly determined team.
Harris (19-0) tossed a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts to earn the victory.The Auburn-bound Harris outdueled Lincoln-Way East ace Alex Storako (22-3), who threw a complete-game three-hitter with one walk and 11 strikeouts.
“Their pitcher was awesome, just terrific,” OPRF coach Mel Kolbusz said. But I thought mine was a little bit better. Offensively, Mariah got her pitch and that thing cleared the fence by 40 or 50 feet surely.”
Pitching dominated the fast-moving final as the two star pitchers allowed only four hits, collectively, against a pair of potent offenses. Aside from Scott’s decisive homer, OPRF sophomore centerfielder Nellie Kamenitsa-Hale and junior shortstop Maeve Nelson both went 1-for-3.
Storako, who will play college softball at DePaul, had the Griffins’ lone hit.
OPRF finished the season 37-1. Powered by seven all-conference players, the Huskies tore up the postseason as well, ourtscoring their opponents 61-5 in seven games.
Last year, OPRF went 37-2 en route to winning state.
OPRF bounces Barrington in state semis
After a 5-1 win over Barrington in the 4A state semifinals at EastSide Centre in Peoria, coach Mel Kolbusz and the Huskies appear poised to win a second straight state championship.
Defending the crown is no easy task, and Kolbusz acknowledged as much after the game.
“Every game is hard, once you get down here,” Kolbusz said.
“Winning state last year doesn’t take away from how we approach each game this year,” OPRF senior Sydney Babbington said. “We don’t take any team for granted.”
Luckily, the game seems to slow down for OPRF when their star pitcher, Chardonnay Harris, is in the pitcher’s circle.
“When we can get ahead with Chardonnay pitching, it puts a lot of pressure on the other team,” Kolbusz said. “The other team already figures they’ll have a tough time scoring with Chardonnay pitching. When we get ahead, it puts more pressure on our opponent.”
Predictably, Harris didn’t disappoint with yet another complete-game victory against Barrington. She allowed one run and two hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
Prior to the state semifinals, the inimitable Harris tossed two perfect games this postseason prior to the semifinal win.
Harris’ remarkable work coupled with a balanced offense including hitting stars like Fiona Girardot, Sydney Babbington, Olivia Glass, Nelson, Scott and Kamenista-Hale, it quickly becomes obvious why OPRF has been virtually unbeatable this spring. Harris is a tremendous hitter, too.
Against Barrington, the scoring opened in the top of the second inning on a single Scott single, plating Girardot (1-for-3, run scored). Babbington ripped a solo home run in the third, and Glass (1-for-2, 2 RBIs) knocked in two with an RBI double in the sixth to provide more than offense for OPRF.
Barrington starting pitcher Catherine McMahon (25-3) allowed four runs (two earned), five hits, a walk and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings of work. Leyden Atlas and Tori Meyer had a hit each against Harris.
Barrington, which finished with a 37-4 record, bounced back to beat Marist 7-6 in nine innings in the third-place game at the state tournament.