Long wait worth it as Gaels advance with ease
Late game sees St. Edmond stay on winner\'s side
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Patience was a virtue for third-ranked (Class 1A) St. Edmond here Monday night.
After arriving at Rogers Park prepared for action, the Gaels were forced to wait for nearly three hours before finally getting into action at Farm Bureau Field.
Once they did they dominated, besting No. 10 Remsen St. Mary's, 8-0 in six innings.
With the win, St. Edmond (26-9 overall) advances to face second-ranked and defending state champion Clarksville on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. The Indians earned a thriller in the game before, 12-11 in 15 innings over North Butler.
The Gaels quickly jumped on the Hawks, plating three runs in the first when Ella Vandi, Faith Shirbroun and Rihanna Myers all came across to score, providing plenty of excitement to the large green and white faithful that filled the stands.
"We played really, really great softball," SEHS head coach Bill Shirbroun said. "The girls didn't let the delay bother them one bit. Instead, they stayed focused and in the moment, and they really hit the ball hard; even our outs were hard-hit balls."
In the fourth, St. Edmond again scored three runs, this time from Vandi, Sophia Schilenz and Jade Rock. Myers ended the contest with a two-run homer in the sixth.
That was more than enough support for ace Toryn Helle, as the sophomore retired 11 in a row after allowing a single in the second. She sat the Hawks (24-5) down in order in the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, finishing with a two-hitter and three strikeouts without issuing a walk.
"The first inning can be a little tough to figure everything out, but once I did, I felt really good," said Helle, who needed just 47 pitches to get through six innings. "I know our defense is always strong behind me, and they were on-point (Monday).
Shirbroun finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, two steals and a run scored, adding to her career school-record totals. Vandi reached base twice and scored both times
"(Scoring first) is one of the most important parts of the game," Shirbroun said. "Getting on a team fast and really gives you confidence and sets the tone. We did a great job coming out and doing that."
Shirbroun, Myers and Rock went a combined 6-for-9, driving in six runs and scoring five times.
Since the start of postseason play, the Gaels have outscored their four opponents 41-5, ending all four games before the start of the seventh inning.
"With this being double-elimination, getting the job done early was beneficial," Faith Shirbroun said. "We can get some extra rest -- especially compared to the two teams who played 15 innings before us."
Remsen St. Mary's will meet North Butler in an elimination game at 3 p.m.
ST. EDMOND 8, REMSEN ST. MARY'S 0
RSM 000 000 – 0 2 2
SE 300 302 – 8 7 0
WP-Toryn Helle (20-4, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 0 BB). LP-Neely Bacon (16-4, 5 ⅓ IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 K, 5 BB).
HR-SE: Rihanna Myers. RBI-SE: Faith Shirbroun (2), Jade Rock (2), Breckyn Ulrich, Rihanna Myers (2). SB-SE: Ella Vandi, Faith Shirbroun (2).