Lady Raiders Advance to Softball Sectional Final

Submitted by Valley View School District 365U

Bolingbrook High School’s softball squad put a little “extra” into their hitting and their defense to register a 5-3 IHSA sectional semi-final victory over Oswego East Thursday.

The Lady Raiders (14-15) will meet either Downers Grove South (32-3) or Downers Grove North (20-9) at 11 a.m. Saturday for the Plainfield East Sectional championship and the right to advance to the Benedictine Super Sectional.

BHS never trailed against Oswego East (20-10), pounding out six extra base hits. But it was the Lady Raider defense that kept the Wolves at bay.

With the Lady Raiders leading 1-0 on second inning doubles by Hallie Hall and Nicole Bond, right fielder Nia Fowlkes threw out Oswego’s lead-off hitter who was trying to stretch a bloop single down the line into a double. And, after the next batter singled, catcher Bond picked her off first.

In the third inning, after BHS made it 2-0 when Gianna Esposito was hit by a pitch and Fowlkes doubled to right center, Emily Brus stabbed a hard-hit line drive down the left field line to end a threat.

Bond came up with another big play in the fourth inning when she stopped a one-run Wolves rally by diving to catch a wind-blown foul pop up.

BHS went up 3-1 in the fifth thanks to a walk to Katrina Yep and Natalie Bond’s double to the left field fence to set the stage for a sixth inning rally-quelling diving catch of a little looper by shortstop Emily Ng with two Oswego runners on base.

The Lady Raiders added two runs in the seventh on a walk, Yep’s triple down the right field line and Hall’s single.

Oswego East scored twice in the seventh and loaded the bases with no outs before BHS pitcher Lorrin Pondo settled down and got the next three batters to end the game.

Other Lady Raiders include Alaina Grosvenor, Dana Hinckley, Lizzy Zielinski, Yanacey Izaguirre, and Danielle Cinquepalmi.

The BHS Head coach is Jean Ryan-Moak. Assistant coach is Melissa Costalunga.