Say this about Kaneland’s Isabelle Stombres. The senior center fielder is one tough cookie.
There’s no doubt about it.
Stombres was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in seventh grade and plays these days with a couple small devices under her uniform. One is replaced every 10 days and monitors her glucose readings. The other operates like a smart phone and delivers insulin to her as needed.
“I was worried at first about diving a lot,” she said. “But I got used to it.”
On Tuesday, though, Stombres let her game face down for a few brief moments as the host Knights won 3-0 over Crystal Lake Central in a Class 3A Kaneland Regional semifinal.
Stombres could barely contain herself in the second inning, flashing a big grin as she rounded the bases at a leisurely pace for the first time in her high school softball career.
“I had a hitting lesson the day before, practicing against inside pitches because that’s usually a weakness for me,” Stombres said. “I was focused on making an adjustment and hitting that pitch.
“And I did. It ended up going over the fence, my very first.”
Stombres’ mother, Danielle, who shares a common birth flower tattoo with her daughter, had promised she would pay for her daughter’s next tattoo if she ever hit one over the fence.
The line drive rode wind gusts exceeding 25 mph and couldn’t have come at a better time.
It led off the inning and gave sophomore pitcher Brynn Woods an early lead as sixth-seeded Kaneland (11-13) upset the second-seeded Tigers (19-11). The Knights will play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the regional title.
Woods (5-2), who has battled injuries that have limited her to 78 innings this season, was simply superb. She scattered five hits, struck out 17 and walked just one in throwing the shutout.
Kaneland got an insurance run in the fourth inning on an RBI double from senior catcher Corinne Pugh and another in the sixth on an RBI double from junior shortstop Angelina Campise.
“I’m thinking of getting a dragon fly because it’s one of my favorites,” Stombres said of her second tattoo. “I haven’t decided yet where it will go, but I like it because it symbolizes change.”
It was also thought by Native Americans to symbolize power and poise.
That was certainly true of Woods, pitching in brutal conditions, infield dirt constantly swirling around her and making the field look like a desert sandstorm.
“She’s got that ‘go get it’ mentality,” Kaneland coach Madison Mikos said of Woods. “We talked about it last Friday after our second loss to Burlington Central. We have nine of 15 seniors, and we told them they had to come ready to play if they wanted to continue and go out with a bang.”
Woods felt the team had a different attitude.
“Playing at home helps, so did having energy on the bench,” Woods said. “Everyone contributed.”
Stombres, a Monmouth commit, has played on varsity since her sophomore year. She and Pugh have been teammates in travel ball since they were both 10.
“When ‘Izzy’ was first diagnosed, I felt so bad for her,” Pugh said. “She would have to get shots. She’d be sitting on my lap and her mom would give her a shot, and I’d be crying because I felt so bad for her.
“She was so young and I was like, ‘You shouldn’t have to deal with this — this is terrible.’ I just felt so bad.”
Woods felt good Tuesday for Stombres.
“She pulled it together,” Woods said. “She was hitting great yesterday, too, off a machine.
“She hit that ball and I just knew it was gone.”
