Softball: Bolingbrook Edges Plainfield South in Regional Playoff

A sixth inning two-run double by Bolingbrook senior shortstop Mallie Hall proved to be the game winner in the Lady Raiders' 13-12 slugfest over Plainfield South on Monday.

Trailing 12-10 in the sixth inning, senior pitcher Eryn Pondo blasted a solo home run—her second of the game. Then, with the bases loaded and two outs, Hall blooped what proved to be the game-winning hit to shallow center-field, just inches beyond Plainfield South senior center fielder Brittany Markham’s diving reach.

The Lady Raiders ultimately wound up winning 13-12 and advancing in the IHSA 4A Plainfield East Regional.

Pondo pitched five innings of four-run softball in place of starting senior Amanda Duncan, who gave up eight runs.

The Cougars (6-21) drove home four runs in the first. Bolingbrook answered with a two-run inside the park homer by sophomore left fielder Nikki Wood and a two-run double by junior third baseman Ashley Deluca to tie the game at four. 

“Going in, I knew they were going to be good hitters, but I knew we were going to answer back after giving up four runs,” Bolingbrook head coach Jean Ryan-Moak said.

Sophomore designated hitter Jancilyn Huff then blasted a two-run homer to left field to push the Raiders ahead 6-4, chasing Plainfield South pitcher Rachel Mickow out of the game.

“Huff has been up the last four games,” Ryan-Moak said. “She was doing really well at the sophomore level and they were trying to hide her there. They let me have her. If you are going to hit, you are going to play varsity." 

Plainfield South scored four in the second inning, to give the Cougars an 8-6 lead.

But after Pondo hit a solo shot in the fourth and sophomore center fielder Dani Knaak pitched in with a fifth inning two-run double, the game was again knotted 10-10.

In the sixth, Plainfield South freshman first baseman Ashleigh Mitts rapped an RBI fielder’s choice while junior third baseman Sam Alonzo poked an RBI double for a 12-10 Cougars edge.

Singler said she was proud of the way her team played as freshman pitcher Alex Cichy “came up big” while .400 hitter Whittney Lanphier was out with an injury. 

“It was a fun game, but we came up a bit short,” Singler said. “We had a good defensive game. They just out hit us. Usually with a young team, you lose with poor fielding. We played good defense today and made them hit.” 

The victory puts the Raiders (13-15) through to the next round, where they are scheduled to play Downers Grove North (31-4) 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Plainfield East.