Softball: Benet Wins Sectional Title Over DGS

The sectional final started on a bad omen for Downers South when starting pitcher Jen Belmont’s first pitch hit Maeve McGuire in the shoulder. 

It was a sign of things to come for the Mustangs (28-7) in their 5-0 sectional final loss to the Redwings (29-10). 

Belmont struggled with her control, hitting two batters in a third of an inning and giving up two runs on an RBI double from Allison Staats and a bases-loaded walk to Shellie Schaffer. Mustangs coach Ron Havelka pulled Belmont for Aleisha Bozek, who went on to strike out the next two hitters to stop the bleeding. 

Unfortunately, the psychological damage had already been done. 

“It really set the tone for us, I think,” Havelka said. “And it could have been a lot worse, that first inning. Unfortunately, we couldn’t muster any offense.” 

Benet pitcher Allison Staats saw to that. She pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and four walks and striking out two. Her defense more than held up their end of the bargain, committing only one error the entire game. 

“I had to be confident in my defense,” Staats said. "They did a great job for me."

Her only real jam was in the fifth when she had runners on second and third with one out and the top of the order coming up. She worked through it, forcing Marissa Mersch to ground out to first, Danielle Trezzo popping out to second, and Jen Nichols grounding to third. 

“She was at her best when she was in trouble,” Benet coach Jerry Schiff said. 

Benet’s win propels them to the super-sectionals in Darien on Monday. They will play Richards for the right to go to the state finals. 

“We had lofty goals going into the season,” Schiff said. “We know we can hit and play defense. It’s just a matter of putting it all together. Right now, we’re on a roll.” 

Mustangs coach Ron Havelka was disappointed, but still happy. “It was a great year. We started 6-4, and we had a lot of injuries, but we really came together as a team and won 22 out of last 25. It’s been a great run. The kids really played well.”

Additional notes: Mustangs center fielder Marissa Mersch, who was two hits away from tying the all-time state record for hits with 252, fell short in her bid. She went 0-for-3 with a walk. Havelka said, “She had an unbelievable run. She’s a real team player, though. Very unselfish. A great kid.”

Benet made a couple of records, as well. According to Schiff, they sat the IHSA team record for doubles, breaking the old record of 106. Four of the 11 team hits were doubles; two from McGuire and two from Staats, who had three of the team’s five RBI. 

Maeve McGuire, according to Schiff, set the all-time school record for singles and doubles combined.