Extra-inning rally puts Rockridge in softball regional final

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By Christopher Maloney | Thursday, May 24, 2007 4:06 AM CDT | () comments

ORION, Ill. — The home team Chargers came within two outs of making it to the finals.

Rockridge took advantage of some errant pitching to make sure Orion didn’t advance.

The Rockets (31-3) came back from a two-run deficit to beat the Chargers 3-2 in eight innings Wednesday.

Rockridge faces the winner of Thursday’s Sherrard-Illinois Valley Central semifinal matchup for the regional championship.

“I am extremely proud of these girls,” Orion coach Shelly Hutton said.

“The last time we played Rockridge, they beat us by 10 runs. We fought hard and pushed Rockridge to the limit. The Rockets had to scratch for everything they got. We hit the ball hard but right at them. We just couldn’t get that one more ball to bounce our way.”

At first, after Chargers senior Anne Leuck hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, the Rockets answered with Caitlin Lingle’s two-out solo shot in the fifth.

In the seventh the Rockets’ Sarah Dean started the inning with a double to center. One out later, the Rockets’ Jennifer Krueger drove her in, and the game was tied.

After the Chargers (21-9) went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, Rocket junior Liz Watkins then opened the bottom of the inning with a walk.

A sacrifice bunt and a passed ball later, Watkins was at third with one out.

Rockets senior Chantel Hinson then hit a single down the left-field line that Leuck couldn’t field it in time.

The throw home was too late and the Rockets survived to play another day.

“After Lingle’s home run, we went straight up from there,” Hinson said.

“We started off slow, but we knew what we had to do to get it done.”

Watkins was less subdued in describing the dramatic finish.

“Oh my gosh, Chantel hit it hard, it got through, and it’s just crazy,” she said.

“I knew we’d get it done though. I have a lot of confidence in this team. We have worked hard all season to get as far as we have.

“This game will help us go on, though.”

In the later innings, as the outs were growing more precious, Rockets coach Tracy Logue said she never was worried.

“I knew we’d find out ways to score some runs,” she said. “The Chargers gave us a challenge, but we battled hard to win it in the end.”

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