Illini Bluffs softball dominates LeRoy to advance to IHSA state title game
PEORIA — This was a pretty familiar situation for Lilly Hicks.
The Illini Bluffs senior stood in the batter’s box Friday at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, needing a hit to find the outfield grass and seal the victory. Her bloop single to left did the job perfectly as the Tigers beat LeRoy, 10-0, in five innings of the Class 1A state semifinal.
“At that point, the pressure was off,” the center fielder said. “I just had to get a base hit and I just swung at the first good pitch I saw, and I knew I could poke it right there.”
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Now, Illini Bluffs (25-5) heads to its fourth consecutive state championship game, facing St. Bede (25-7-1) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. A win would give IB the state’s first three-peat since Cobden won three consecutive 1A titles from 2008-10.
That end-of-game scenario looked oddly similar to an extra-inning, base-knock by Hicks that landed nearly in the same spot to win the 2022 state championship.
“Basically, the same hit,” she said.
Zoe Eeten helped Illini Bluffs make an early statement in the bottom half of the first inning. The senior roped a 1-1 pitch past a diving LeRoy outfielder Lauren Bossingham, allowing the ball to roll all the way to the left field corner.
Eeten had just hit her sixth home run of the season, this one an inside-the-park home run.
“She tried to make a play on it,” the senior shortstop said. “… I knew I could make. I rounded second and (coach Lindsey) Lox was sending Lilly, so I just knew I could make it home.”
Added Hicks, “We were really excited and hyped this morning. We just knew all gas, no brakes. We had a great start.”
From there, the two-time reigning state champions poured it on.
A walk to Kennedy Kawolsky started a turnstile of batters with nine Tigers making a plate appearance in the second inning. Hicks’ bases-loaded walk made it a 3-0 game and an RBI single from Lexi Brinkman bookended the inning with a 7-0 advantage.
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Anna Tibbs push that lead to 9-0 when her pinch-hit, fifth-inning single to centerfield set up the final at-bat of the game from Hicks.
“After that first inning, it kind of set the tone for the game,” Eeten said, “and then in the second inning, we just came out and put the hammer down.”
LeRoy (32-7) made its only serious threat in the fourth inning by loading the bases.
IB pitcher Cora Ellison, whose fourth consisted of two hits, a walk and a hit batsman, got out of the jam with a strikeout and a flyout to center. The freshman right-hander struck out seven and walked two.
Ellison was one of five underclassmen in the lineup. Sara Finn and Chloe Eeten are also freshmen.
“They have been in high-pressure situations,” Lox said, “and they’ve done really well, but still saying that, coming in as a freshman, playing against upperclassmen, they really just stepped up.
“… I’m kind of a proud mom of them right now. They just really kept their cool, composure and focus and took it one inning at a time.”
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IB now gets its sixth game in three seasons at the state finals, providing an extra sense of familiarity for the Tigers.
“A lot,” Hicks said of the confidence playing in the Final Four, “especially the juniors and seniors. We’ve been here three times, so it’s like habit almost now. A lot of nerves (go) away because of that.”
Lilly Long lasted 1.1 innings and gave up five hits and three walks for Le Roy before leaving in the second with a heat-related sickness.
St. Bede 4, Goreville 1
Peru St. Bede defeated Goreville 4-1 to win the first Class 1A semifinal Friday at Louisville Slugger Complex.
The Bruins (25-7-1) will play for the program's first state title at 11:30 a.m. Saturday against Illini Bluffs. SBA won trophies in 2013 and 2019, but never has played for a title.
Ella Hermes (10-1) struck out nine, walked three and allowed three hits and one run in the complete-game win for St. Bede. Lily Bosnich had two hits including a double and an RBI for the Bruins, who also got RBIs from Madelyn Torrance, Bella Pinter and Emma Slingsby.
Goreville (25-14) will play for third.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
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2:08 p.m. — Illini Bluffs wins it with a 10-run rule
Lilly Hicks singles home Anna Tibbs with the bases loaded to send Illini Bluffs to the state championship game with a dominant 10-0 victory.
ILLINI BLUFFS 10, LEROY 0 | FINAL, 5 INN.
2:00 p.m. — Illini Bluffs adds some more
The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning before Anna Tibbs delivered a two-run single to push IB to a 9-0 lead.
1:47 p.m. — Quiet couple of innings
LeRoy loads the bases in the top of the fourth inning, but can't score. Illini Bluffs goes down in order in the bottom. Both teams had only one base runner combined in the third inning.
ILLINI BLUFFS 7, LEROY 0 | END OF 4TH INNING
1:18 p.m. — Illini Bluffs extends lead with another big inning
Illini Bluffs now leads 7-0 after a wild inning that included multiple hits, walks and errors.
Illini Bluffs moved ahead 3-0 when Lily Hicks battled from trailing 1-2 in the count to work a walk and score Kennedy Kawolsky, who led off with a walk. Morgan Lowe had followed with a single and Sara Finn a walk to load the bases.
Zoe Eeten followed by hitting a ground ball and reaching on an error, which scored two for a 5-0 lead. Eeten then stole second and Hicks scored on another error to make it 6-0 — before Lexi Brinkman singled to score Eeten and make it 7-0.
ILLINI BLUFFS 7, LEROY 0 | END OF 2ND INNING
12:45 p.m. — Illini Bluffs powers to early lead
The Tigers jumped to a 2-0 lead with one out in the bottom of the first inning when Zoe Eeten sliced a shot down the foul line past the left fielder for an inside-the-park home run. Lilly Hicks, hit by a pitch earlier, also scored on the hit.
IB threatened again when Cora Ellison doubled and Anna Fortin followed with a single — but courtesy runner Anabelle Reimer was thrown out at home to end the inning.
ILLINI BLUFFS 2, LEROY 0 | END OF 1ST INNING
12:35 p.m. — Illini Bluffs lineup for state semifinal
Here is the lineup for Illini Bluffs, which is the home team on the scoreboard vs. LeRoy. Freshman Cora Ellison (9-3) will pitch for the Tigers.
RF Sara Finn
CF Lilly Hicks
SS Zoe Eeten
C Lexi Brinkman
P Cora Ellison
2B Annbelle Fortin
1B Kennedy Kawolsky
3B Chloe Eeten
DP Morgan Lowe.
Class 1A softball state finals
At Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, Peoria
Friday's semifinals
St. Bede 4, Goreville 1
Illini Bluffs 10, LeRoy 0 (5 inn.)
Saturday's finals
Third: Goreville vs. LeRoy, 9 a.m.
Title: St. Bede vs. Illini Bluffs, 11:30 a.m.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA softball state finals: Illini Bluffs vs. LeRoy semifinals
