By Scott Taylor
For the Bugle
Coming in to the game, second seeded Lockport was looking to stop an eight-game losing streak to top seed Lincoln-Way East Friday in the Minooka Sectional final.
But the Porters were unable to get the big hit when it mattered most throughout the game and they fell 5-0, ending their season at 31-5. It was the third straight year the Griffins, who won their fourth straight sectional title, knocked the Porters out of the playoffs.
“We have a great sectional,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. “There is a lot of talent here. We had two great teams matched up and someone has to lose and unfortunately it was us today.”
The theme of the game for Lockport was leaving runners on base and the first inning set the tone after a leadoff double led to no runs.
“When you don’t score after a leadoff double in the first inning, it kind of sets that tone,” Chovanec said. “We didn’t answer them right away and we left a lot of runners on. We just didn’t find the hits today when we needed it. It is a game of inches and those inches didn’t go our way today.”
In the third and fourth innings, the Porters had runners on second and third with one out and couldn’t score and had the first two runners on in the seventh and couldn’t cross home.
“We were in positions where we were behind throughout the season and they believed they could come back,” Chovanec said. “We just couldn’t get that extra hit today.”
Lockport went with freshman Gianna Bauer on the mound and after three first inning runs, she was relieved by junior Elly Hagen.
“It was our game plan all along, since we planned to be here the last time we played them,” Chovanec said of starting the freshman. “They hadn’t seen Gianna and we felt like the element of surprise was going to work for us the third time. We had a tough call in the first inning and then a couple of walks. Our defense gave them a couple extra outs. The game then slips away.”
Chovanec was confident the Porters would be playing for a sectional title weeks ago because of the experience and will of the team to get there.
“We have a great group of seniors and a core group of juniors who have been on varsity three years,” Chovanec said. “They wanted to be here and buy into the system. They had fun every day and believed in what we were doing.”
While the season ended similarly to the past two, it doesn’t change the fact that it was the most successful season for the Porters in several years.
“I can’t say enough about the kids and their desire to be here every day and have fun doing it,” Chovanec said. “This was the first time in a while we were in this position and its been a long time since we’ve won 30-plus games. 31-5, I’m so proud of all these kids.”