Morrison Rallies For More State
Hardware
Hardware
Fillies Capture Another 2A Third Place Trophy ...
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
At EastSide Centre (6/5/10)
East Peoria
Class 2A State Consolation
Morrison 3, Alton Marquette
2
Marquette (2) – Silkwood p 4-
1-2-0, Stack ss 3-1-2-1,
Militello c 3-0-0-0, Morrissey
cr 0-0-0-0, Dunn 2b 3-0-1-1,
McAfee lf 4-0-0-0, Shipley 3b
3-0-1-0, Winkler pr 0-0-0-0,
Hill 1b 2-0-0-0, Youngblood rf
2-0-1-0, Griffon ph 1-0-0-0,
Beile cf 2-0-0-0. Totals 27-2-
7-2.
Morrison (3) – Sumption cf 3-
0-0-0, Deter c/3b 3-0-0-0,
Wiersema p/1b 2-1-1-0,
Finneran ss 2-1-1-1, Stralow
1b/p 3-0-0-0, Hanson 3b/c 3-
1-2-0, Vegter rf 3-0-1-0,
Ammon 2b 2-0-0-0, Connor
dp 2-0-1-2, Bush lf 0-0-0-0.
Totals 23-3-6-3.
Marquette 101 000 0 – 2 7 0
Morrison 100 200 x – 3 6 0
LOB – Marquette 9; Morrison
4. 2B – Silkwood, Shipley,
Wiersema. HR – Stack. SB –
Silkwood, Stack, Youngblood,
Finneran. SAC – Hill. HBP –
Beile (by Wiersema),
Wiersema (by Silkwood).
Marquette ip r er h bb k
Silkwood (L, 28-6)
6.0 3 3 6 1 7
Morrison
Wiersema (W, 13-8)
5.0 2 2 6 2 10
Stralow (S)
2.0 0 0 1 0 2
Records: Morrison (26-13),
Marquette (29-7).
East Peoria
Class 2A State Consolation
Morrison 3, Alton Marquette
2
Marquette (2) – Silkwood p 4-
1-2-0, Stack ss 3-1-2-1,
Militello c 3-0-0-0, Morrissey
cr 0-0-0-0, Dunn 2b 3-0-1-1,
McAfee lf 4-0-0-0, Shipley 3b
3-0-1-0, Winkler pr 0-0-0-0,
Hill 1b 2-0-0-0, Youngblood rf
2-0-1-0, Griffon ph 1-0-0-0,
Beile cf 2-0-0-0. Totals 27-2-
7-2.
Morrison (3) – Sumption cf 3-
0-0-0, Deter c/3b 3-0-0-0,
Wiersema p/1b 2-1-1-0,
Finneran ss 2-1-1-1, Stralow
1b/p 3-0-0-0, Hanson 3b/c 3-
1-2-0, Vegter rf 3-0-1-0,
Ammon 2b 2-0-0-0, Connor
dp 2-0-1-2, Bush lf 0-0-0-0.
Totals 23-3-6-3.
Marquette 101 000 0 – 2 7 0
Morrison 100 200 x – 3 6 0
LOB – Marquette 9; Morrison
4. 2B – Silkwood, Shipley,
Wiersema. HR – Stack. SB –
Silkwood, Stack, Youngblood,
Finneran. SAC – Hill. HBP –
Beile (by Wiersema),
Wiersema (by Silkwood).
Marquette ip r er h bb k
Silkwood (L, 28-6)
6.0 3 3 6 1 7
Morrison
Wiersema (W, 13-8)
5.0 2 2 6 2 10
Stralow (S)
2.0 0 0 1 0 2
Records: Morrison (26-13),
Marquette (29-7).
Photo by Bill Lidinsky
By Bill Lidinsky
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
EAST PEORIA - After a disappointing 3-2 loss to Johnston City during the Class 2A state
semifinals on Friday, the Morrison girls softball team had less than 24 hours to shake off
the disappointment and accept the reality that they weren’t going to be a 2010 state
softball champion.
With renewed vigor and a great sense of determination, the Fillies buried the loss and
focused in on making sure they went out with style during the 2A third place contest
Saturday at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning versus Alton-Marquette, Morrison rallied for
a pair of runs with a two-out, two-run single off the bat of No. 9 hitter Billie Jean Connor.
From there, the Fillies used the great pitching of starter Christie Wiersema and reliever
Danielle Stralow along with a tremendous defensive play from shortstop Kaitlyn Finneran
with the game on the line in the seventh to edge out the Lady Explorers 3-2 and capture
their second Class 2A third place trophy in school history.
The first one came two years ago in 2008 and followed a fourth place finish during the last
year of the IHSA's two-class system in 2007.
Morrison softball has now accumulated a trio of state final hardware during the past four
seasons, the latest of which coming after a difficult semifinal loss and a thrilling down to
the wire third place triumph.
“After we lost to Johnston City, we had a team meeting last night. We said when we wake
up in the morning it’s a new day and we’re taking third place. We weren’t going to lose
twice this weekend,” Finneran said. “We came out today and made the plays we needed
to in order to win. It’s a great feeling to add another trophy to our trophy case. Three in
four years isn’t too bad.”
“The girls wanted to put more gray hairs on my head today. But seriously, I had faith in my
pitchers, my hitters, and my defense. The girls worked really, really hard and they knew
what they had to do,” Morrison coach Tammy Deter said. “It’s difficult to come back after a
tough loss in less than a day. But they stayed relaxed even though we were behind and
they ended our season on a great note.”
Marquette got on the board first during the top of the opening frame. Freshman phenom
pitcher Alexis Silkwood led off the game with a solid single to left field off of Wiersema.
She then stole second and scored two outs later on Kate Dunn’s RBI single as the Lady
Explorers led 1-0 after a half inning of play.
But with two outs in the bottom of the frame, Wiersema doubled to left and came home to
tie the score at one apiece as Finneran followed with a two-strike RBI single off Silkwood
to center.
The Lady Explorers would go back up 2-1 in the top of the third as Mia Stack led off the
inning with a booming solo homer to left off of Wiersema.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the fourth.
Finneran led off with a walk and then stole second. One out later, Allie Hanson and Ashley
Vegter both reached on bunt singles to load the bases. After Morgan Ammon popped out
on the infield for the second out, Connor followed with the clutch two-run single to left off
Silkwood that scored Finneran and Hanson and gave the Fillies the lead that they’d never
relinquish.
“It felt amazing to get that hit. I was nervous, but with girls on base I wanted to do what I
knew I could do to help the team,” Connor said. “It’s just a great feeling knowing that my
hit contributed to us getting third place. I was glad I could help out my teammates that
have been so god to me.”
After Connor’s go-ahead hit, the Fillies were far from out of the woods. Marquette loaded
the bases in the top of the fifth with one out. But Wiersema got the next two Lady
Explorers on strikes, which ended the threat and left her with ten K’s through five innings
before yielding to Stralow in the circle for the final two frames.
“I just went out there today and did what I’ve taught myself to do during the last ten years
of playing softball,” Wiersema said. “It just felt really great to go out there at this level and
see all my hard work pay off in such a big game. I knew when Danielle (Stralow) relived
me she’d do just as good a job. She came in cold and held the lead for us.”
Stralow got Marquette one-two-three in the sixth before encountering the nerve wrenching
seventh final stanza.
Silkwood led off with a double and checked in safely on a close play at third after a bunt
by Stack was fielded by Stralow whom tried to get Silkwood unsuccessfully.
With runners in first and third and nobody out, Stack then stole second. Trish Militello
followed with a hot smash to Finneran at short who came up firing to catcher Allie Hanson
to get Silkwood on the six-two web gem putout that preserved the precarious one run
Morrison lead along with highlighting the defensive play of the game.
“I told myself before the play happened that she (Silkwood) wasn’t scoring no matter
what,” Finneran said. “Right when I got the ball I saw her in the corner of my eye going
home and I knew I could do it and threw it right to the plate. She’s fast so I knew I had to
hurry but we got her.”
Stralow then finished with Stack at third as the tying run by striking out the next batter and
retiring the final out on an easy fly ball to left field which secured the Fillies 2A third place
odyssey of 2010.
“Katie (Finneran) getting that big defensive play at the plate was so heads-up ball. For
me, it was great to get that out. It relaxed me and even tough they still had runners in
scoring positions, that play gave me confidence to close it out,” Stralow said.
“We left runners at third base all day long with golden opportunities. Anytime you get
runners on third with less than two outs you’ve got to put the ball in play and we just didn’t
in key situations,” said Marquette head coach Dan Weidman. “Credit Morrison for a fine
job coming back and holding on at the end.”
Morrison finishes another fine trophy driven campaign at 26-13, while Marquette closes
with a 29-7 record.
“Our program has developed over time and I’m proud of what we accomplished this year,”
Deter said. “I’m not going to predict anything for the future, but we’ll continue to work hard
and hopefully we can get a state title someday soon.”
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
EAST PEORIA - After a disappointing 3-2 loss to Johnston City during the Class 2A state
semifinals on Friday, the Morrison girls softball team had less than 24 hours to shake off
the disappointment and accept the reality that they weren’t going to be a 2010 state
softball champion.
With renewed vigor and a great sense of determination, the Fillies buried the loss and
focused in on making sure they went out with style during the 2A third place contest
Saturday at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning versus Alton-Marquette, Morrison rallied for
a pair of runs with a two-out, two-run single off the bat of No. 9 hitter Billie Jean Connor.
From there, the Fillies used the great pitching of starter Christie Wiersema and reliever
Danielle Stralow along with a tremendous defensive play from shortstop Kaitlyn Finneran
with the game on the line in the seventh to edge out the Lady Explorers 3-2 and capture
their second Class 2A third place trophy in school history.
The first one came two years ago in 2008 and followed a fourth place finish during the last
year of the IHSA's two-class system in 2007.
Morrison softball has now accumulated a trio of state final hardware during the past four
seasons, the latest of which coming after a difficult semifinal loss and a thrilling down to
the wire third place triumph.
“After we lost to Johnston City, we had a team meeting last night. We said when we wake
up in the morning it’s a new day and we’re taking third place. We weren’t going to lose
twice this weekend,” Finneran said. “We came out today and made the plays we needed
to in order to win. It’s a great feeling to add another trophy to our trophy case. Three in
four years isn’t too bad.”
“The girls wanted to put more gray hairs on my head today. But seriously, I had faith in my
pitchers, my hitters, and my defense. The girls worked really, really hard and they knew
what they had to do,” Morrison coach Tammy Deter said. “It’s difficult to come back after a
tough loss in less than a day. But they stayed relaxed even though we were behind and
they ended our season on a great note.”
Marquette got on the board first during the top of the opening frame. Freshman phenom
pitcher Alexis Silkwood led off the game with a solid single to left field off of Wiersema.
She then stole second and scored two outs later on Kate Dunn’s RBI single as the Lady
Explorers led 1-0 after a half inning of play.
But with two outs in the bottom of the frame, Wiersema doubled to left and came home to
tie the score at one apiece as Finneran followed with a two-strike RBI single off Silkwood
to center.
The Lady Explorers would go back up 2-1 in the top of the third as Mia Stack led off the
inning with a booming solo homer to left off of Wiersema.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the fourth.
Finneran led off with a walk and then stole second. One out later, Allie Hanson and Ashley
Vegter both reached on bunt singles to load the bases. After Morgan Ammon popped out
on the infield for the second out, Connor followed with the clutch two-run single to left off
Silkwood that scored Finneran and Hanson and gave the Fillies the lead that they’d never
relinquish.
“It felt amazing to get that hit. I was nervous, but with girls on base I wanted to do what I
knew I could do to help the team,” Connor said. “It’s just a great feeling knowing that my
hit contributed to us getting third place. I was glad I could help out my teammates that
have been so god to me.”
After Connor’s go-ahead hit, the Fillies were far from out of the woods. Marquette loaded
the bases in the top of the fifth with one out. But Wiersema got the next two Lady
Explorers on strikes, which ended the threat and left her with ten K’s through five innings
before yielding to Stralow in the circle for the final two frames.
“I just went out there today and did what I’ve taught myself to do during the last ten years
of playing softball,” Wiersema said. “It just felt really great to go out there at this level and
see all my hard work pay off in such a big game. I knew when Danielle (Stralow) relived
me she’d do just as good a job. She came in cold and held the lead for us.”
Stralow got Marquette one-two-three in the sixth before encountering the nerve wrenching
seventh final stanza.
Silkwood led off with a double and checked in safely on a close play at third after a bunt
by Stack was fielded by Stralow whom tried to get Silkwood unsuccessfully.
With runners in first and third and nobody out, Stack then stole second. Trish Militello
followed with a hot smash to Finneran at short who came up firing to catcher Allie Hanson
to get Silkwood on the six-two web gem putout that preserved the precarious one run
Morrison lead along with highlighting the defensive play of the game.
“I told myself before the play happened that she (Silkwood) wasn’t scoring no matter
what,” Finneran said. “Right when I got the ball I saw her in the corner of my eye going
home and I knew I could do it and threw it right to the plate. She’s fast so I knew I had to
hurry but we got her.”
Stralow then finished with Stack at third as the tying run by striking out the next batter and
retiring the final out on an easy fly ball to left field which secured the Fillies 2A third place
odyssey of 2010.
“Katie (Finneran) getting that big defensive play at the plate was so heads-up ball. For
me, it was great to get that out. It relaxed me and even tough they still had runners in
scoring positions, that play gave me confidence to close it out,” Stralow said.
“We left runners at third base all day long with golden opportunities. Anytime you get
runners on third with less than two outs you’ve got to put the ball in play and we just didn’t
in key situations,” said Marquette head coach Dan Weidman. “Credit Morrison for a fine
job coming back and holding on at the end.”
Morrison finishes another fine trophy driven campaign at 26-13, while Marquette closes
with a 29-7 record.
“Our program has developed over time and I’m proud of what we accomplished this year,”
Deter said. “I’m not going to predict anything for the future, but we’ll continue to work hard
and hopefully we can get a state title someday soon.”
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
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