BLOOMINGTON — Pressure? What pressure?
Senior shortstop Maddie Hernandez knew what was at stake and what was on the line Monday afternoon for Oswego, but if she was feeling it against conference rival Minooka, it didn’t show.
“It was in my mind to just have fun and keep swinging, and it worked,” Hernandez said. “I’ve been in a little bit of a slump, and especially since this is my senior year, any time can be my last time.
“I just wanted to work my way through it. Slumps happen. Obviously, I didn’t want it to happen, but now that I’ve got some momentum, I want to keep that going.”
Hernandez didn’t start the fire for the Panthers that led to a 5-2 victory in the Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional, but the Wisconsin-Parkside recruit added fuel to the embers.
Mired in an 0-for-10 playoff slump, Hernandez responded with a two-hit performance, including a two-run double in the fifth inning that drove in the winning run for Oswego (28-9).
Hernandez was dropped to ninth in the batting order for the Panthers, who play St. Charles North (24-6) at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
It was her second straight game in that spot, but a little levity did the trick.
“I spoke to her during a Minooka conference on the mound and said, ‘If we win this game, I’m gonna take you guys out for pizza,’” Oswego coach Paul Netzel said. “She just started smiling and gets the hit, kept the rally going.
“Sometimes, you just have to lighten the mood when they’re struggling with themselves.”
Minooka (32-4-1) staked senior ace Taylor Mackin (16-2) to a 2-0 lead with RBI doubles in the fourth and fifth innings.
It didn’t look good, considering the Indians beat Oswego twice by 7-0 scores during the regular season. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, though, the Panthers broke loose.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times,” said Netzel, whose team met that challenge with a 9-1 victory over conference rival Yorkville in winning the regional title.
“I told them they had to knuckle down and do the work, and that was the message again leading into this game. We knew (Mackin) liked to work outside, and we just needed to make contact.”
Junior third baseman Aubriella Garza, a Northern Illinois recruit, got it going after junior first baseman Rikka Ludvigson drew her second of three walks with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
Garza then uncorked the wackiest home run of 10 she has hit this season, belting a line drive to center field. Minooka’s Sofia Dziuba had a bead on the ball, angling toward the 5-foot fence.
Dziuba reached up, only to have the ball glance off her glove and fall over to force a 2-2 tie.
“”That was crazy,” said Garza, who looked up in time to see the ball go over. “It felt like a line drive. I was just trying to put the ball in play and score the runner and make it a closer game.
“But I’ll take two. I’ll take two runs all day.”
Netzel, who was checking with ace pitcher Jaelynn Anthony (13-4) in the dugout to see how the sophomore right-hander was feeling at the time, didn’t see the play.
“As soon as it comes off her bat, we all went crazy,” Hernandez said. “Then, as soon as it tipped off her glove, I think the momentum turned the rest of the way.”
Two more batters reached base, setting the stage for Hernandez. She confirmed that a good approach helped the Panthers this time against Mackin.
“Her spin is pretty good,” Hernandez said. “We were ready, crowding the plate. I swung way over on the first pitch and thought for sure she’d throw a curve. She did, and it was a good pitch to hit.”
