SOFTBALL
IHSA CLASS 1A SUPER-SECTIONAL AT ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD
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HARDIN CALHOUN 1, WINDSOR 0: Sydney Baalman pitched another magnificent game, striking out 14 while allowing only one hit – with two out in the seventh – as Calhoun made a first inning run stand up to defeat Windsor 1-0 in the IHSA Class 1A super-sectional Monday afternoon at Illinois-Springfield’s Land of Lincoln Junior Olympic softball complex.
The only run of the game came in the opening inning, when Lucy Kallal reached on a one-out infield single, took second and third on wild pitches, and scored on a ground out by Baalman to second.
Baalman made the run stand up by getting key strikeouts and defensive plays, most notably in the fourth, when Kallal made a big catch of a fly ball off of Calla Roney, in the fifth, when Sophie Lorton backed up an errant throw on a steal of third base, and in the seventh, when Elly Pohlman made a big catch of a ball hit over her head to rob Roney again.
Windsor did steal a total of nine bases in the game, but five times, the Hatchets stranded a runner at third, thanks to brilliant pitching by Baalman. The only hit she gave up was a two-out single in the seventh to Ava Bennett in getting the win for the Warriors.
Calhoun is now 30-4. and advances to the state finals for the fourth time in the last five season, the string interrupted by Windsor, who defeated the Warriors last season en route to the IHSA championship. The Warriors will play Goreville, an 8-1 winner over Marissa-Coulterville in the Johnston City super-sectional, in the state semifinals Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. at Eastside Centre in East Peoria. Windsor, who finished the regular season ranked number one in the Associated Press state coaches poll, was eliminated with a 36-2-1 record.
