Illini Bluffs had a tough finish at IHSA state, but it's far from the end

PEORIA — They thought this was going to be a rebuilding year.

But the foundation for a dynasty was already in place for the Illini Bluffs softball team before it ever walked on the field at Louisville Slugger Complex on Saturday.

The IB girls were an entire roster of players that had never experienced anything but a state championship. But on Saturday, the young team was confronted with something else — heartbreak, slammed at them in one disastrous inning.

So the Tigers came up short, 7-6, to St. Bede in the IHSA Class 1A state softball championship game, narrowly missing a nearly unprecedented three-peat.

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"We did think this was a rebuilding year for us, although we believed state could be within reach," said IB coach Lindsey Lox, who now is 60-9 with two titles and a runner-up finish in three years at the helm. "It was so exciting to be back here again. I'm so happy for them."

They got there with freshman pitcher Cora Ellison and sophomore hurler Hannah Thomas. Got there with seven freshmen and five sophomores — and only two seniors — on the roster.

"Our pitchers, this was a big stage for them," Lox said. "They are so young, but so steady and ready for the challenge. We only have two seniors, and we're losing them, great girls … it's just an emotional thing for me."

In the post-Kierston McCoy era, the team's signature shifted this season from pitching to hitting. And they had plenty of it, including freshman Sara Finn's team-best .505 average and 12 home runs.

But their reputation, and the expectations that come with it, is the same — and it precedes them every time they step on the field.

"These girls were in state finals in middle school," Lox said. "They are pretty confident."

One of those departing seniors, Zoe Eeten, said: "We're used to having a target on our backs. We've grown up with it, spent years with it before we even got here."

On the way to a three-peat

Illini Bluffs (25-6) opened a 3-0 lead in the first two innings and looked like it was on the way to a third straight title, something done only three times in IHSA history and not since Cobden did it in 2008-10.

Ellison blooped a triple to right field that chased home Finn and Eeten in the first inning for 2-0.

Then Finn delivered an RBI single on a two-out liner up the middle in the second.

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IB had runners at second and third in the third inning but was shut down when Lexi Brinkman was thrown out at the plate after a flyout to centerfield.

Bottoming out in the bottom of the third

St. Bede (26-7-1) countered with a six-run third inning that drove Ellison out of the circle. The Bruins sent 12 batters to the plate and took advantage of an error, a blown call at third base and some solid hitting.

They opened with a triple and a walk, and then Abby Michels' grounder back to Ellison produced a run when the pitcher's throw to the plate — which initially caught the runner in a rundown — was mishandled by Brinkman.

A fielder's choice to first base plated another run, and then Ella Hermes ripped a two-out double for two more runs and a 4-3 lead.

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Madelyn Torrance added a two-out, two-run double and St. Bede left the inning up 6-3.

"Maybe we could have hustled a little more, been sharper, I don't know," Ellison said. "But it was a tough situation. This season, it was hard because we didn't think we could get this far.

"But I contributed what I can, trying to follow in Kierston (McCoy's) footsteps."

Thomas took over in the center of the diamond and limited St. Bede to one run the rest of the way.

"I like closing," Thomas said. "You have to shut out the crowd, finish the inning and keep competing."

A Tiger comeback

Finn — who had three hits — ripped a two-out triple to right field to plate Morgan Lowe in the fourth inning and close to within 6-4.

Then in the fifth, they chased out St. Bede starter Reagan Stoudt with a walk to Zoe Eeten.

Brinkman greeted reliever Hermes with a single to center. Then Thomas laced a single to center that bounced under the glove of the center fielder and rolled to the wall for two runs and a 6-6 tie.

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"That was a big moment," Thomas said, grinning. "I just wanted to get up there and make contact. That's been my approach."

Illini Bluffs stranded her at third, and stranded runners at second and third with no outs in the sixth inning as well.

St. Bede, meanwhile, won it in the sixth when Torrance stroked a two-out RBI single to right field.

A powerful program

Illini Bluffs finished second at state in 2019. In 2020, COVID caused the state playoffs to be canceled.

The Tigers came back and won it all in 2021, then won it all again in 2022. And they were within a swing of the bat of completing a three-peat Saturday.

"I came into this season a little skeptical about whether we could keep it up because we were so young," said Zoe Eeten, who will next play at ICC. "But in the end, we call came together and we got here. I'm proud of how our young pitchers did and what is ahead for this team.

"Are we a dynasty? Well, we've had goals and developed skills and heard expectations since we were little girls. I'd like to think I contributed to this team's legacy."

Players on the losing side of a state title game usually cry afterward. That was strikingly absent from Illini Bluffs. They looked, and acted, like a team that has been there, done that, and knows it will be back again.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

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1:24 p.m. — St. Bede wins its first state championship

St. Bede pitcher Ella Hermes gets IB's Chloe Eeten to ground out to the second baseman, who grabs the ball and tags the base to make the final out. Pinch-hitter Anna Tibbs had reached base on an infield single.

1:15 p.m. — St. Bede takes a late lead

Madelyn Torrance delivers a two-out single to right field to give the Bruins a 7-6 lead headed into the final inning. The third out is called when a runner is thrown out at third base.

12:47 p.m. — Illini Bluffs ties the game

After a leadoff walk and a single, the Tigers tie the game 6-6 with a two-run triple from Hanna Thomas. We head to the bottom of the fifth inning.

12:42 p.m. — St. Bede gets a new pitcher

Reagan Stoudt will sit down in the top of the fifth inning, and Ella Hermes will come in and try to close out the state championship game. Hermes threw 95 pitches over seven innings in the Friday semifinal, a 4-1 win over Goreville.

12:31 p.m. — Illini Bluffs gets one back

Leadoff hitter Sara Finn delivers an RBI hit in the top of the fourth inning to cut St. Bede's deficit to 6-4.

12:16 p.m. — St. Bede pouring it on

The Bruins add another pair of runs and now have batted around, scoring six runs for a 6-3 lead. The Bruins have chased IB pitcher Cora Ellison. She has been replaced with Hannah Thomas.

12:11 p.m. — St. Bede takes the lead

Ella Hermes drives a double to the outfield and scores two runs to give St. Bede a 4-3 lead.

12:07 p.m. — St. Bede gets on the board

After reaching base with a triple. Lily Bosnich scores on an error when the catcher dropped a throw home. The Bruins added another run and have pulled within 3-2 and have two runners in scoring position with no outs.

11:44 a.m. — Adding to the lead

Leadoff hitter Sara Finn singles up the middle to increase the Tigers' lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning.

11:33 a.m. — Early lead for Illini Bluffs

Pitcher Cora Ellison hits a two-run triple to stake Illini Bluffs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

11:25 a.m. — Early start for the title

Sara Finn is the leadoff batter for Illini Bluffs, as the game starts a touch early at Louisville Slugger. Reagan Stoudt is the starting pitcher for St. Bede.

The lineup for IB: RF Finn, CF Lilly Hicks, SS Zoe Eeten, C Lexi Brinkman, P Cora Ellison, 2B Annabelle 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: LeRoy 4, Goreville 2

• Title: St. Bede 7, Illini Bluffs 6

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA softball championship: Illini Bluffs loses to St. Bede in Class 1A