Senior Sophia Leonardi was determined to reach base for the Fenwick softball team in the bottom of the 12th inning Monday.
“(Assistant coach Julianne Rurka) told me to take the first strike and then to bunt,” Leonardi said. “I just put it down and then I ran as fast as I could to first base. It was really close. I didn’t even look at the ball.”
When she sprinted again moments later, the feeling was unforgettable. Leonardi scored the winning run on sophomore leadoff hitter Kyleena Nowinski‘s one-out walkoff single to center field and the Friars outlasted Lemont 4-3 in 12 innings to win the Class 3A Benedictine Super-Sectional.
“It felt amazing. The thrill coming through my veins. I don’t even have any other words for it,” Leonardi said. “You saw me coming down the third-base line. My arms were up. It felt so awesome.”
Fenwick (22-11) advanced to the state semifinals at 12:15 p.m. Friday against Glenwood in Peoria. The Friars return to state after finishing third in 3A in 2024.
“It was intense. The girls dug deep. But they pulled through and that’s all that really matters,” Fenwick coach Valerie Jisa said.
“For the 12 innings, I was like, ‘We can’t stop now. We’ve gone this far. We’ve got to keep at it.’ I can’t believe we won again. I knew we could do it, but I’m a slow processor.”
Fenwick’s short stop Bella Bigham (2) tags out Lemont’s Jessica Pontrelli (20) at second base during the Class 3A Benedictine Super-Sectional championship Monday, June 1, 2026 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Hailey Smith-Young (9)is greeted at home after hitting her second home run of the game against Lemont during the Class 3A Benedictine Super-Sectional championship Monday, June 1, 2026 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s first baseman Jordan Rossi (11) makes the catch at first to get Lemont’s Jessica Pontrelli (20) out during the Class 3A Benedictine Super-Sectional championship Monday, June 1, 2026 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Sofia Kateeb (25) hugs Kyleena Nowinski (4) after Nowinski’s winning RBI to defeat Lemont 4-3 during the Class 3A Benedictine Super-Sectional championship Monday, June 1, 2026 in Lisle, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal)
Leonardi, senior Gianna Pescatore and juniors Bella Bigham, Alex Purta and Jordan Rossi remain from Fenwick state players in the 2024 third-place game or semifinals. With help from some new faces, Fenwick defeated Montini 4-2 Friday in the Glenbard South Sectional final to avenge last year’s loss in the sectional semifinals.
“It’s crazy to think we went down to state two years ago and now with this group of people; it couldn’t have been better,” Pescatore said. “I think our team chemistry compared to two years ago was un-comparable, so I just really thought this year was the year.”
Fenwick appeared destined for downstate on Monday after freshman catcher Hailey Smith-Young hit her second homer of the game. The two-run shot after Purta reached on an infield error put the Friars ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
Down to its final out, Lemont (28-10) got a run-scoring triple to dead center field to tie the game.
“(The game) was really nerve-wracking and honestly the team played great. We performed under pressure and I’m really proud of how we all did,” said Smith-Young, who leads Fenwick with 12 homers. “I’ve had a couple (two-homer games) this season. Those felt really good (on Monday). Sofia (Kateeb) pitched amazing. She hit her spots, was hitting corners.”
Kateeb had an impressive 15 strikeouts against an offense that scored in double figures 19 times this season. Lemont took a 1-0 lead in the third on a throwing error and RBI single. After Smith’s solo homer in the fourth, the Friars went ahead 2-1 with a leadoff triple and passed ball.
After her two homers, Smith-Young was intentionally walked her final two at-bats. That put runners on second and first with one out in the 11th, but an infield popout and flyout ended the threat.
Leonardi led off the 12th with her bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ayanna Bourn.
Nowinski singled off the first pitch and Leonardi scored with no play being made.
“Thank God it happened. It was crazy, all of the adrenaline, everything,” Nowinski said. “I was like, ‘I just need to hit a ground ball and then she’ll score.’ I’ve had a few hits, but that was definitely the most memorable one. It’s great because I wasn’t even originally on varsity. Doing that and helping the varsity team go to state is just insane for me.”
A leadoff fixture in the postseason, Nowinski began this season with the junior varsity and then became a dual-roster player with the varsity. Jisa said Nowinski earned her varsity stripes during the team’s trip to Tennessee in early April.
“She showed me that she was my leadoff,” Jisa said “She can’t pitch or throw but thankfully she’s still able to (be a designated player) and run and get on base.”
In the fall, Leonardi nearly went downstate in volleyball, but the Friars lost to Nazareth in the super-sectional.
“That was a big loss,” Leonardi said. “That was really sad because I’m playing volleyball in college (at DePauw). But this just made up for it.”