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EAST PEORIA – Hardin-Calhoun's Emily Baalman has been swinging a hot bat this postseason for the Warriors.
None of the hits she's had were bigger than the 12th-inning single she had that brought home Junie Zirkelbach with the winning run as Calhoun moved into Saturday's IHSA Class 1A softball championship game with a 2-1 win over Princeville Friday morning at East Peoria's EastSide Center.
Calhoun improved to 31-8 on the year and will be looking for its third championship in succession when they meet Goreville, who eliminated Heyworth 11-2 in Friday's other semifinal game, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at EastSide Centre. Princeville was eliminated at 25-9.
“She's been smoking the ball,” said Warrior coach Matt Baalman of Emily Baalman. “She wants to be in the spotlight and she's been doing great. Emily Baalman and Macy Margherio right now are our go-to girls – Grace (Baalman) gets on; this game, they held Grace down but Emily and Macy, they still did their job.
“They're very on top of their game right now in the postseason; that's when you want it.”
Grace Baalman had a 22-strikeout performance for the Warriors, including some clutch strikeouts when the Princes were threatening several times. “Grace did a really good job,” Matt Baalman said. “Princeville had a very good game plan, very, very aggressive. They were swinging, but they put the bat on the ball, bunting in certain situations and moving up in the (batter's) box to take the break (of Grace Baalman's pitches) away.
“When it got tough, Grace got it done. That's what Grace does; she's a very talented girl, very smart girl, she loves softball.”
Calhoun grabbed the lead early when Emily Baalman stroked a two-out double in the bottom of the first and came home on a Margherio RBI single to go ahead 1-0. From that point, both Grace Baalman and Princeville pitcher Haley Holt settled into a duel, both pitchers shutting down the other and coming through with big outs to cut the heart out of rallies.
Princeville, though, tied the game up in the fifth when Holt opened the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Emma Lane; Karlen Sandall then tripled home Holt to even the game, but Baalman stopped the Princes' move by retiring Natalie Cokel for the third out.
Princeville threatened in the top of the seventh when Grace Baalman struck out Madison Roe, but the ball got away from Emily Baalman; her try to get Roe at first sailed over Margherio's head, allowing Roe to get to second. Lane then singled, with Roe going to third, but Baalman fanned Sandall to end the inning.
Calhoun had a shot at ending it in the eighth when Margherio singled and Holly Baalman doubled Margherio to third, but Holt fanned Ashleigh Presley and got Jessica Oswald to ground back to the circle to end the threat.
Then came the 12th, starting with a Zirkelbach double to the fence in center; Grace Baalman then got Holt to issue a walk to put runners at second and first. Abby Baalman flew to center for an out, leading to Emily Baalman stroking a single to left to chase home Zirkelbach with the winning run, much to the delight of the Warriors and their supporters.
Emily Baalman was 3-for-6 on the day with two doubles, the game-winning RBI and the first run scored for Calhoun; Margherio went 3-for-5 with a RBI, Holly Baalman 2-for-5, Sydney Baalman 1-for-3 and Zirkelbach 1-for-5 with the game-winning run. Sandall was 1-for-4 with a triple and RBI for Princeville, with Cokel, Holt and Chloe Lane each 1-for-5 and Lane 1-for-4.
Grace Baalman went all 12 innings for the Warriors, fanning 22 while giving up an earned run on five hits while walking three to get the win; Holt went 11.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on 11 hits while dismissing six by strikeout and walking three.
So now the Warriors aim for a three-peat, something that would put them among the elite in state softball history. “That's where we wanted to be,” Matt Baalman said. “Words can't describe what we're feeling – what the whole team – is feeling right now.”
