When freshman pitcher Macie Robbins showed up to softball tryouts, Providence coach Jim Holba already knew who she was. And then he was impressed even more.
When she actually tried out, without Robbins even pitching an inning on the high school level, Holba told her, “In my 15 years of being a head coach, you’re the best pitcher I’ve ever had.”
Placing her on varsity was an easy decision, but he wanted to be smart about how to use her.
“At the beginning of the year, I told her, ‘I’m going to baby you like you are a freshman,’” Holba said of Robbins. “’But I’m not going to waste you and I’m not going to try to overuse you.’
“She’s a special one.”
Robbins put on another special performance Saturday, striking out nine and adding a double in the host Celtics’ 2-1 win over Marian Catholic in the Class 3A Providence Regional final in New Lenox.
Ella Kucala scored on a three-base error hit off the bat of Angelina Cole and Cole came home on a single by Ava Misch in the third inning for Providence (22-11). That’s all Robbins needed.
Abby Gustavson and Kendyl Rainey each had two hits for Marian (11-16). Gracie Jensen drove in Rainey in the sixth inning for the Spartans’ lone run.
Robbins gave up a leadoff single to Gustavson in the top of the seventh but saved the best for last, striking out the side to give the Celtics their eighth regional title and second in a row.
“I obviously didn’t want to leave anything down the middle but I was pretty much attacking,” Robbins said of her strategy. “And it was a matter of knowing what I did against those batters.”
Robbins was quick to credit her defense, and the Celtics came through in a big way in the third.
Cole, a junior center fielder, caught a deep fly and fired a strike to freshman shortstop Aleigh Hill. She then relayed to sophomore third baseman Olivia Vittori, who tagged out Marian’s runner to end the inning.
“After I threw the ball, there was excitement,” Cole said. “I was like, ‘Oh, Aleigh, turn it.’”
Cole called it a great play. To Hill, it was all about teamwork.
“It was communication,” Hill said. “You have to make sure your outfielders hear you, and Angie made a real good throw. I was able to throw to Liv, who made a real good tag.
“We always practice that, especially in pregame. We always get our cuts down. It’s good to practice that, especially when it happens in a game like this.”
It helped Providence advance to a 4:30 p.m. game Tuesday in the Ottawa Sectional semifinals against Tinley Park (20-12). That outing will give Robbins (19-4) a chance to reach 20 wins this season. She has 199 strikeouts in 137 innings with a 1.53 ERA.
Robbins, who turned 15 on Friday, started playing softball at age 5. She said she was “decent” when she began playing, but as the years went on, she took to travel ball and got better.
She praised pitching coach Jonathan Hon for getting her ready for high school.
“I see him every week on Thursday nights at 9 p.m.,” Robbins said of Hon. “He has taught me how to use my body and not to use and waste momentum. That’s why I don’t backswing or anything.”
During the regular season, Robbins notched signature wins over Lockport and Loyola, but a regional championship victory over Marian turns out to be another big test she passed.
She loves softball because of the pressure situations.
“Honestly, I love moments like these,” Robbins said. “It’s the big moments. They definitely test you and your mentality. I think it’s rewarding when you get it done.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
