Softball: Joliet Catholic pulls off stunning comeback to hand Manteno first loss

JOLIET – 25-0. That’s what Manteno’s record was going into Thursday’s softball game against Joliet Catholic.

Only three of its victories had come by one run. The Panthers had scored 277 runs on the season, 11.1 per game while only allowing 65, 2.6 per game. They had seven shutout wins and 15 games in which they scored in double-digits. The Panthers were the very definition of dominant.

For 5½ innings Thursday, it looked like they would be heading to another victory, albeit a close one. At that point, however, Joliet Catholic decided Manteno had gone undefeated long enough.

Samantha Wright, a freshman making the first start of her varsity career, was outstanding against one of the best offenses in the state, holding the Panthers to three runs over 4⅓ innings.

On offense, the Angels put five runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth to pull ahead 5-3 and got the three outs it needed to end the Panthers’ unbeaten run and pull off a massive comeback effort.

JCA (15-8) engaged in a pitchers’ duel with Manteno for much of the day. The game was scoreless through two innings before Alyssa Dralle’s RBI single scored Adelynn Lubben to make it 1-0 Manteno in the top of the third. That’s how it stayed until the top of the fifth. After putting two runners on, Wright was pulled for Nina Sebahar, who gave up a two-run RBI double to Dralle that scored Ava Peterson and Kenzie Hespen.

Despite finding themselves down 3-0, the Angels never panicked. Sebahar was outstanding the rest of the way, allowing no runs, while the bats finally got going in the sixth. Addie Fanter’s RBI single scored Addy Rizzatto, then Samantha Patrick scored on an error to cut the deficit to just one.

Molly Ryan then singled to score Patrick before Camryn Kinsella made a run for home. Caught between the bases, the catcher dropped the ball, and Kinsella slid home to put JCA up 4-3. Sebahar then singled to score Ryan for insurance, and the Angels defense got a 1-2-3 seventh inning to get the win.

For JCA, it was a nonconference game, and coach Tina Kinsella said it was all about collecting information as Manteno will be in the same sectional. Still, there’s no denying that knocking a team from the ranks of the unbeaten this far into the season was a special moment.

“We were trying to keep it cool, calm and collected,” coach Kinsella said. “We started a freshman in Sam Wright that has very limited innings on varsity for us, and she did a phenomenal job. We are so proud of her.”

If one just checked the box score with no other context, Wright’s stat line may not immediately jump out as she walked six batters, struck out three and allowed three earned runs. But she also gave up only two hits against a team that averages 11 runs a game in the first start of her career.

To succeed in the face of that kind of pressure is worth more than a tip of the cap.

“I just wanted to hit my spots all the time,” Wright said. “I was trying not to worry because I knew my defense could get to the ball and I knew they’d do their job if I just did mine. ... I was kind of freaking out a little bit [at first] because it was my first start for varsity, but more into the game I was more calm and relaxed.”

Sebahar allowed one hit with one walk and one strikeout in 2⅔ innings of work, Ryan went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Fanter went 2 for 3 with one RBI and a run with a double.

While it’s a result the Angels will take, the journey doesn’t get easier. They visit Coal City for a 10 a.m. game Saturday before games against Providence and Reed-Custer. They won’t be letting their guard down.

“I hope that we can keep our hitting going,” Ryan said. “I hope we can keep a clean defense and just keep winning.”