By Fred Kroner
The St. Joseph Panthers junior high softball team hit its stride late in the season, producing a seven-game winning streak that featured the team scoring in doubles figures for runs in five of those contests.
The streak started on Saturday (Aug. 21) with an 11-3 win over Meridian.
That was followed by a 15-11 slugfest victory at home over Champaign St. Matthew on Monday (Aug. 23), then a 10-1 win at Urbana on Tuesday (Aug. 24), a 13-1 triumph over Bismarck-Henning on Wednesday (Aug 25), a narrow 3-2 conquest at home over Mattoon on Saturday (Aug. 28), a triumph at Rantoul Eater on Tuesday (Aug. 31) 14-0, and a shutout in the regular-season home finale, 15-0, against Danville North Ridge.
Against Meridian, Timera Blackburn-Kelly struck out six, allowed two hits and one run during her pitching stint. Delany Nekolny hit a triple and Hayden Dahl had a double.
Against St. Matthew, Amelia Huckstat struck out six during her three-inning pitching stint. Blackburn-Kelly accounted for four of the team’s 23 stolen bases.
Against Urbana, Nekolny, Dahl, McKenzie Atwood and Adalyn Jannusch all swatted at least two hits. Blackburn-Kelly allowed just one run.
Against Mattoon, Huckstat and Blackburn-Kelly teamed up to register 16 strikeouts. Atwood recorded two hits.
Against Rantoul Eater, Huckstat threw a perfect game. Leading the hit parade were Atwood with a triple and Ashlyn Miller and Jannusch with doubles.
Against North Ridge, Huckstat tossed her second shutout in two days. Katie Erickson, Dahl and Sami Kelso drove in runs during the fourth inning.
The winning streak came to an end on Thursday (Sept. 2) at Champaign Edison, 9-1. Jannusch, Blackburn-Kelly and Kelso all had hits for the Panthers.
Among the Panthers’ other highlights during the season were a shutout thrown by Blackburn-Kelly on Wednesday (Aug 11) at home over Fisher in a 15-0 triumph. Atwood and Jannusch both laced at least two hits.
In a 13-1 victory at Mahomet-Seymour on Monday (Aug. 16), Blackburn-Kelly pounded four hits. Adelyn Childers, Jannucsh, Atwood, Huckstat, Kelso, and Erickson all drove in runs during a sixth-inning uprising.
In a Thursday (Aug. 19) game at Hoopeston Area, the Panthers hit a season-high for runs scored during a 20-2 win.
In a narrow 2-1 win at home over Normal Kinglsey on Friday (Aug. 20), Blackburn-Kelly and Dahl scored the runs that led to a victory. Coach Maureen Hoffman said, “Delaney Nekolny was a wall behind the plate.”
Through the first 15 games, Blackburn-Kelly had notched 70 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings and Huckstat had fanned 48 batters in 30 2/3 innings.
The batting leaders, among players with at least 15 at-bats, are Dahl (.459), Jannusch (.410), Huckstat (.394), Nekolny (.333), Miller (.286) and Brynn Ikemire (.273).
During the regular season, St. Joseph (11-7 record) did not lose to any Class 2A opponents.
Third-seeded St. Joseph will open postseason play at home against sixth-seeded Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Wednesday (Sept. 8) in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal contest. The winner will play second-seeded LeRoy in a semifinal game on Saturday (Sept. 11), also in St. Joseph.
