After last softball season, Fenwick High School seniors Maddie Entler and Sophie Stone attended the state championships in Peoria to watch their friends from Oak Park and River Forest finish third in Class 4A.
They also made a vow to get there themselves.
“We texted our senior group chat saying, ‘We’re coming back,’” Entler said. “That was our motivation. We wanted it and here we are.”
It’s the Friars’ turn.
On Monday, they earned the program’s second downstate berth, and first since 1998, as they won the 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional by beating Nazareth Academy 2-1.
Fenwick (17-9) plays Pontiac (29-7) at 10 a.m., Friday at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria. The third-place and championship games are Saturday.
The Friars won regionals the past two seasons but lost in the sectional semifinals. As No. 3 seeds, they captured their first sectional title since 2013 by beating top-seeded Elmwood Park, 5-3, in six innings in the Glenbard South Sectional final Saturday.
“After we made it past [sectional], it was, ‘Well, we’ve made it farther than the last few years. Let’s just see how far we can go.’ Now we’re going to state,” said Stone, the winning pitcher in both games.
Fenwick’s pitcher Sophie Stone (24) delivers a pitch against Nazareth during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Fenwick’s first baseman Molly Mullen (5) stretches to get Nazareth’s Taylor Reynolds (18) out during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Nazareth’s catcher Emme Barnes (64) catches a pitch from Annabella Rychetsky against Fenwick during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Fenwick’s pitcher Sophie Stone (24) jumps for joy after the last out to defeat Nazareth 2-1 during during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Nazareth’s pitcher Annabella Rychetsky (14) delivers a pitch against Fenwick during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Nazareth’s Kennedy Joe (7) puts the ball in play against Fenwick during the Class 3A Benedictine University Super-Sectional Monday, June 3, 2024 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
“With all of the seniors, this was it. This was our last chance to make it and just to have done it is super-gratifying.”
The victory was especially sweet for Entler, Stone and senior Ellie Kolb, whose varsity team as freshmen won two games, and for first-year head coach Valerie Jisa, who was a varsity assistant in 2023.
“[This game] could have gone either way. This is crazy. I’m so proud of these girls. I keep calling them the Little Engine That Could,” Jisa said.
“I can’t believe I’m going to state with these girls. They did so much hard work. They did it all, so I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.”
The Friars, who batted first, and Nazareth (16-20) each scored runs in the first inning. Fenwick’s leadoff hitter Gabriella Simon reached on an error and scored when Bella Bigham followed with a double. Junior Kailey Janda then hit her first home run this season over the left-field fence with two outs in the fourth inning.
Janda had planned to take the SAT exam Saturday morning and then get to the scheduled 11 a.m. start for the sectional final. When the game was moved to 9 a.m. in hopes of beating forecasted rain, she could not arrive in time.
“We told her since she missed [Saturday], she had to bring it [Monday] and she did,” Entler said.
“That [home run] could not have been more timely,” Stone added.
Clutch pitching from Stone also helped. She allowed seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks and also stranded four runners in scoring position.
In the seventh, Nazareth’s No. 9 hitter led off with a single. Leadoff hitter Kennedy Joy, who opened the first with a double and scored on a wild pitch, then flew out to right-fielder Leah Lowery.
When Nazareth pitcher Annabella Rychetsky tried to bunt, Stone caught it on the fly and threw to first base for the game-ending double play.
“When that first girl got on, it was horrifying,” Stone said. “[Joy] is a good hitter. It’s loud and there’s a lot of pressure. People are screaming. Then she [flew] out and it was like, ‘Maybe this is it.’ It’s just kind of that mentality: either we win or lose here.”
Fenwick lost to Nazareth 2-1 on March 22 with 15 strikeouts. Rychetsky had 11 Monday but Fenwick had six hits, including doubles by Stone and Entler.
On Saturday, Stone got the clutch strikeout to end the sixth with the bases loaded. After a rain delay with Fenwick batting in the seventh, stronger rains ended the game.
In 1998 when the Friars last ventured downstate, they finished fourth in Class AA.
“Never been so excited to go to state,” Entler said. “Each year we got better and I’ve never been so ecstatic and so proud of everyone. We all worked hard and truly never gave up.”
