EFFINGHAM — When the postseason rolls around, all bets are off.
That was the case for the St. Anthony softball team against rival Teutopolis on Friday night at Bulldog Field in the championship game of the Class 2A St. Anthony Regional.
Typically, for the Bulldogs, during this recent four-year stretch, regional title wins have come easy to them. Last year, St. A defeated Teutopolis at Teutopolis Junior High Softball Field, 14-4. The year before, the Bulldogs defeated Paris 10-1 and the year before that, they beat Altamont 9-1.
This year, though, was different.
St. A was challenged in a regional title game but still managed to prevail, defeating the Lady Shoes 6-4 to win their fourth regional in a row, the first time that has happened in program history since Illinois moved to a four-class system. There was no information about whether the feat happened before that time.
“Every season, we start in January (and ask) ‘What are your goals?’ I have the girls write it down and I have them look over it and about every two-ish weeks, we revisit it,” head coach Makayla Taylor said.
St. Anthony never trailed in the game.
The Bulldogs led 2-0 after the first inning.
Addie Wernsing started the frame with a double. Hailey Niebrugge then lined out to center fielder Olivia Copple. Abbi Hatton drew a walk and Sydney Kibler did the same.
Maddie Kibler then drew a bases-loaded free pass for the first run before Stacie Vonderheide was hit by a pitch, making it 2-0.
T-Town got out of that jam, though, as pitcher Alyssa Tipton struck out Laney Coffin and got Julia Schultz to ground into a fielder’s choice.
Wernsing was then hit by a pitch in the bottom of the second after Lilly Gannaway struck out. Tipton, once again, worked around that, though, getting Niebrugge to pop out to the catcher and Hatton to line out to Copple.
Kayleigh Zerrusen started the top of the third for T-Town with a base hit. Tipton then struck out before Olivia Hemmen reached on a double that pushed Zerrusen to third.
Summer Wall then lined out and Malea Helmink struck out to end the threat.
Tipton then started the bottom of the third by striking out Sydney and Maddie Kibler back-to-back.
Vonderheide greeted her with a solo home run after that, making it 3-0.
Coffin then hit a double and Schultz drew a walk before Gannaway lined out to retire the side.
T-Town scored three times in the top of the fourth to tie the contest.
Chloe Hoene and Hemmen were both hit by pitches. Kylie Borries then hit a two-run double that cut the deficit to one run, 3-2.
CJ Apke was then hit by a pitch. Zerrusen grounded into a fielder’s choice and Mallory Bloemer hit an RBI single.
Wernsing, who took over after Sydney Kibler hit her third batter of the inning, struck out Copple before yielding a walk to Wall. Helmink then grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
St. Anthony got on the board again in the bottom of the fifth when Schultz drove in courtesy runner Ava Walton on an RBI single.
For good measure, the Bulldogs then added two more in the bottom of the sixth, when Hatton scored on a groundout by Maddie Kibler and Vonderheide hit an RBI single, scoring Sydney Kibler.
Hoene then started the top of the seventh with a flyout. Hemmen hit a solo home run to left field, but Wernsing was unbothered by that, as she got Borries to ground out and Apke to fly out, ending the contest.
The game was the last contest at Bulldog Field for a senior class that is currently 99-21 in their career.
“It’s definitely sad, for sure, but it’s really good to win,” said Hatton, who has been a part of 78 of the 99 wins after playing at Neoga her freshman year. “I really didn’t want to go home today.
“I’m really proud of our senior class; I’m proud of this team and proud of everyone stepping up and filling their roles amazingly.”
“It’s cool to see how mature they’ve become as adults and trying to figure everything out is so much fun,” Taylor added. “They’re great softball players but even better people.”
“It’s definitely a swing of emotions,” said Wernsing, who has been a key piece either at second base or in the pitching circle, for all 99 wins. “Getting our last win on this field is great, but knowing that it’s our last game, ever, together on this field.”
St. Anthony finishes the game with nine hits. Vonderheide and Coffin had. Wernsing, Hatton, Sydney and Maddie Kibler and Schultz had one.
“You don’t know who’s going to be on what day,” Taylor said. “That’s what I love about our lineup.”
The Bulldogs now await the winner of Tolono (Unity) and St. Joseph-Ogden, who play today at 11 a.m. The winner will face St. Anthony on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Monticello High School in one of two sectional semifinals.