SWEET TO ELITE: St. Anthony softball advances to elite eight for the second time in three years; first time in Class 2A

May 28—TOLONO — Makayla Taylor was in the dugout when the St. Anthony softball team made history two years ago.

She was in it again on Saturday for more.

The Bulldogs defeated Tolono (Unity), 8-6, in the Class 2A Tolono (Unity) Sectional Finals to win the program's first Class 2A sectional championship. St. Anthony won in 2020 when they were in the 1A classification.

"This is fantastic," Taylor said. "Moving up to 2A is a huge change and, to be honest, 2A pitching is insane, but these girls practice all year long and they do such a good job."

Like it was the last three win-or-go-home games, the Bulldogs had their backs against the wall.

And, like it was the last three-win-or-go-home games, none of that mattered when it was all said and done.

St. Anthony trailed 3-0 after three innings, 4-0 after four innings and 6-2 after five innings.

Taylor never had a shred of doubt run through her body during that stretch, though.

"I just never stop believing in them," Taylor said. "One through nine, we find a way to make it work. Someone is going to get on base; someone's going to hit; someone's going to bunt. Whatever it is, the team is always there, ready to do whatever I ask. We prepared for this all season and I'm proud of how we reacted.

"I never get nervous with stuff and I bring that to the team and I think the team bounces off me that way."

Taylor's calm, cool and collected nature is the same demeanor her team has also adopted.

That showed throughout the game and it started at the beginning of it.

Shortstop Cameran Rios hit a single on the first pitch she saw to start the game. The home plate umpire, though, ruled her out after it appeared that Rios' foot was out of the batter's box as she was hitting the ball.

Adysen Rios then singled on the third offering from Rockets pitcher Lindy Bates before Rockets' left fielder Lauren Haas made a sliding catch in right field to retire Addie Wernsing and catcher Hailey Niebrugge grounded out to end the inning.

Pitcher Lucy Fearday then nearly retired the Tolono (Unity) side in order in the bottom half of the first.

Fearday got Jenna Adkins and Bates to ground out.

Ruby Tarr then singled before Fearday retired the side after getting Reece Sarver to ground out.

Fearday then helped herself in the top of the second by hitting a single.

Sydney Kibler then laid down a sacrifice bunt to push Nora Gannaway, the courtesy runner for Fearday, to second.

Anna Faber then flew out to centerfield and Gannaway tagged up from second and slid head-first into third, but Bates worked around that and got Abbi Hatton to strikeout swinging to end the frame.

Sophia Beckett then started the bottom of the second with a base hit before Fearday retired the next three batters, all on groundballs.

Nothing followed, though, as Stacie Vonderheide lined out, Cameran Rios hit a single, Adysen Rios grounded out and Wernsing flew out.

While St. Anthony couldn't come up with any offense, the Rocket did.

After Haas grounded out to start the inning, Adkins and Bates hit back-to-back singles before Tarr hit a two-run triple for the game's first runs.

Tarr then scored on a wild pitch before Sarver popped out, Beckett singled and Rothe grounded out to end the side.

Tolono (Unity) then plated one more run in the bottom of the fourth after an Adkins RBI single before St. Anthony finally cut into the lead in the top of the fifth.

Cameran Rios started the rally with a triple. Adysen Rios then grounded out, allowing Cameran to score and Wernsing hit a monstrous home run to deep centerfield to make it 4-2.

"I knew I needed to get a hit in that situation," Wernsing said. "I've been struggling lately and I just knew I needed to put the ball in play and shorten up."

Wernsing's home run ended up clearing not only the fence but a line of cars right behind it.

She had no idea about that, though.

"That's what I was told after," Wernsing said. "I didn't know it would be gone."

The Rockets answered, though, by getting those two runs right back.

Bates hit a solo home run to start the bottom of the fifth and Tarr scored after a Rothe groundout to make it 6-2.

St. Anthony then followed that by tying the game in the top of the sixth.

Taylor said the third time through the order truly helped her team in that regard.

"There were times when we didn't string it together, but I think that third time through the lineup, they were pretty set and knew what Lindy was throwing," Taylor said.

Fearday started the inning with a single.

Sydney Kibler then hit an RBI double to cut the lead to three runs.

Anna Faber then followed that by hitting a two-run home run to center field that made it a one-run contest, 6-5.

"I was thinking I needed to get at least a base hit; I didn't think it went over, but it did," Faber said.

Adysen Rios then hit an RBI single that scored her sister to tie the game.

Fearday then retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth before the Bulldogs responded with the final pair of key runs in the top of the seventh.

Fearday drew a walk to start the inning.

Kibler then hit a double that scored Gannaway to give the Bulldogs a 7-6 advantage.

"I was going to have Sydney bunt in her at bat, but she battled and showed a lot of resilience," Taylor said. "She did what she was supposed to do with that."

Faber then hit an RBI single that scored Kibler to make the final score.

Bates then started the bottom of the seventh with a single. Tarr followed by flying out and Sarver was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.

Beckett then hit into a fielder's choice before Rothe did the same to end the game.

Wernsing collected the flip from Cameran at second base before jumping in the air and screaming.

The season wasn't over on this day.

It was only continuing.

Taylor couldn't say enough about her team afterward.

"They're resilient; they don't stop battling," she said. "They want to play and are so competitive out here. It's really fun to coach them, too."

What was also fun for Taylor, though, was seeing her team get revenge against an opponent that ended their journey one season ago.

"I think it was kind of a revenge game from last year," she said.

The Rockets defeated the Bulldogs in the same game one season ago, 3-2.

To Adysen Rios, what this game truly meant to her, though, was another guaranteed game with her sister.

"It means a lot because this is my last time playing with Cameran. Any chance I get is very memorable," Adysen said.

Collectively, Adysen and Cameran finished 5-for-9 at the plate.

Cameran did her work against a shift that was applied by the Unity coaching staff that proved to be worthless.

"Even with the shift, I still feel that I work the count and still work the ball and put it where they weren't," Cameran said.

Though Cameran could still work the count, Taylor said that what Bates offered was a little tougher for her team early on in the game.

"We had to adjust to what she had. She threw a lot of low and away, but inside, too, so she did a good job of making us guess," Taylor said. "She's good at throwing changeups. You go from seeing a pitcher that throws all rise balls to that — it's a night-and-day difference."

Even though the two pitchers may have been different, the result wasn't.

St. Anthony continues its season on Monday at 11 a.m. in the Class 2A Decatur (Millikin) Super-Sectional against Quincy (Notre Dame).

The winner will then advance to Peoria for the Class 2A State Semifinals against either Rock Falls or Taylor Ridge (Rock Ridge) at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.