PEORIA - Both Vanna Holmes and Hannah Uhles had two hits and a RBI each, while Lauren Flowers went all the way in the circle, striking out eight, as Carrollton advanced to the IHSA Class 1A softball final with a 6-3 win over Casey-Westfield Friday morning, June 6, 2025, at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
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The Hawks are now 37-1 and go to the championship game Saturday morning, June 7, 2025, in Peoria.
The Warriors had an opportunity in the first on back-to-back one-out singles by Anna Karras and Allyson Truelove, but Flowers got a ground out to third and a strikeout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, Carrollton struck, all coming with two out, as Uhles drew a walk, and was doubled home by Daci Walls, Hayden McMurtrie singled Walls to third, and Brooklynn Elierman drew a walk, with Megan Camden walking to force in Walls to make it 2-0.
The Hawks extended the lead to 3-0 in the second, when with one out, Flowers was hit by a pitch, went to second on a ground out by Holmes, and scored on a RBI double by Uhles to make it 3-0 Casey-Westfield pulled to within 3-1 in the third, on a leadoff double by Ava Goble, going to third on a Karras sacrifice, scoring on a double by Truelove to make it 3-1.
Carrollton got the run back in the fourth when Courtney Waldheuser led off with a single, and courtesy runner Abby Flowers went to second on an error by the second baseman after a line out, and one out later, scored on a Holmes RBI single to up the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Warriors rallied back to make it 4-3, starting with a lead-off single by Haley Schackmann, and a walk to Goble, with both advancing on a wild pitch. After Karras fanned, Schackmann scored on a passed ball, with Goble going to third, with a RBI single by Truelove scoring Goble to make it 4-3. A strikeout and fly-out ended the inning.
The Hawks got both runs back in the bottom of the inning, all happening with one out. Elilerman and Camden hit back-to-back singles, Waldheuser was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Blake Driskill singled home Eilerman to make it 5-3. A force play at third scored Camden to make it 6-3.
Flowers had a bit of trouble in the sixth, with walks to Gilyiyane Gilbert and Gabriella Frye, and an intentional walk to Goble. Flowers got Karras to fly out to right, and in the seventh, struck out Truelove and Lucy Moore, and after a walk, got Gilbert to fly to Holmes in right to end the game.
Both Holmes and Uhles led the Hawks with two hits and an RBI each, while Walls, Camden, and Driskill all had hits and RBIs, McMurtrie, Eilerman, and Waldheuser all had hits, and Lauren Flowers drove in a run.
Flowers went all the way in the circle, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits, walking five and striking out eight.
The Hawks will play in the Class 1A state final Saturday morning against either LeRoy or Dakota at 11:30 a.m. Casey-Westfield is now 34-4, and plays the LeRoy-Dakota loser in the third-place game Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
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