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Softball: Dodge drives in game-winner as Carmel Catholic wins sectional semifinal
Carmel's Kelley Dodge (top) gets a lift from Nicole Bitter after her walkoff basehit gave the Corsairs a 9-8 win over McHenry in last week's Class 4A sectional semifinal at Cary-Grove High School. | John Konstantaras~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 5, 2012 3:18PM
Carmel Catholic’s softball team entered Wednesday’s Class 4A Cary-Grove sectional semifinal with a so-so record.
But the Corsairs notched an extraordinary 9-8 defeat of McHenry to up their record to 19-18 and end the Warriors’ season at 24-4.
With the score tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning and Carmel junior catcher Skyler Zak on third base, senior centerfielder Kelley Dodge (4-for-5, two RBI) struck a two-out run-scoring single up the middle to end it.
Carmel trailed 8-4 after McHenry plated four runs in the third and fourth innings. Warriors junior first baseman Kelsey Cichocki (2-for-4, six RBI) followed her two-run single in the third inning with a grand slam in the fourth.
“Our girls never got down, never hung their heads,” said Carmel coach Jason Raymond.
His players scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot it at 8-8. Sophomore shortstop Kathleen Felicelli made it 8-6 on a fielder’s choice before sophomore second baseman Amy Abel came through with a two-run single over shortstop Alexa McClaughry’s head.
Corsairs sophomore starter Nicole Bitter got the win – after reentering the game in the top of the seventh as a relief pitcher. Junior Erika Schoenfeld took over for Bitter in the fifth and didn’t allow a run in two innings. She also got the first out in the seventh.
Carmel will face either Rockton Hononegah or Jacobs for the C-G sectional title at 11 a.m. Saturday.
