There’s little doubt that freshman Soleil Tate will have her day as the ace of Marist’s pitching staff.
For now, she’s ready for anything.
With a state trip on the line, Tate was certainly happy when RedHawks coach Colleen Phelan handed her a bat.
“I felt like being the (designated player) got me to bring up a lot of energy,” Tate said. “I kept it up to the very end. I didn’t have all the best at-bats, but the third time was the charm.”
Tate’s clutch hit was Monday’s finishing touch as Marist beat Lincoln-Way Central 2-0 in a Class 4A supersectional at The Ballpark in Rosemont.
Bree Hanik had two hits and scored both runs for the RedHawks (35-3). Camryn Lyons contributed an RBI single, while junior pitcher Gianna Hillegonds struck out nine in a three-hitter.
Josephine Jager, Kendall Pearson and Jaimee Bolduc all had hits for Lincoln-Way Central (33-5). Florida State recruit Bella Dimitrijevic chalked up seven strikeouts.
The victory was the 300th of Phelan’s coaching career at Marist.
Marist, making its fifth straight appearance at state, will play Mundelein (36-1) at 3 p.m. Friday in a semifinal game at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
Tate’s single up the middle in the top of the sixth gave the RedHawks some much-needed breathing room. It also made her breathe a bit easier after an attempted bunt two innings earlier resulted in a pop-up and double play.
“I had to keep going,” Tate said. “I just felt the next at-bat would be more important than the one that just happened. I went into the game confident I would get a hit. It wasn’t working out, but then it did.
“I felt really good to be able to help my team get where we are today.”
Lyons put the RedHawks in front in the top of the first when her single to right-center scored Hanik. It took Marist 12 innings to score three days earlier in a 1-0 win over Downers Grove North for the sectional title.
“I trusted in my teammates, and I was just going up there to shoot a gap and get us a run early,” Lyons said. “I wanted to set things up better for us later in the game.”
It was welcome support for Hillegonds, who threw 12 shutout innings against Downers North.
“I really want to be there for my team and keep it there for my seniors,” Hillegonds said. “I knew I had to keep focused. This feels amazing, and it was just a full team win. Everyone played a part.”
Tate has indeed made the most of every opportunity given to her this season.
As a hitter, she has a .361 average with 22 runs, nine home runs and 38 RBIs. In the circle, she’s 10-2 with 86 strikeouts in 74 innings.
For Phelan, she’s been a coach’s dream.
“It was a no-brainer to bring her up as a freshman,” Phelan said. “Soleil has been constantly coming up big for us at the plate and in the circle. She’s consistent and she’s powerful.
“And she had a really, really awesome at-bat for us here. Soleil is a very special player right now, and she’s going to be a big name in these next four years that everyone is going to know.”
A resident of Woodridge, Tate attended a Marist summer camp heading into eighth grade.
“Before that, I didn’t even know the school existed,” Tate said. “When I came to the camp, I really enjoyed it. And then I shadowed a day at Marist, and I really felt like it was home there.
“Now that we’re going to state and joining all of these girls on this wonderful journey, I feel like this was the right choice.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
