Mundelein senior pitcher Sophia Zepeda’s run of bad luck appears to be behind her.
Zepeda, who pitched sparingly behind then-sophomore Shae Johnson during the Mustangs’ run to fourth place in Class 4A last year, was anointed the ace of the staff after an injury sidelined Johnson for this entire season
But Zepeda, a College of Lake County commit, then suffered back-to-back injuries that forced her to sit out some games.
“It was frustrating because I reinjured myself the very first game back and missed five or six games,” she said. “I knew I had to be ready when I came back and thought it would be difficult after a few weeks off. It was good to rest my body.”
Zepeda, who returned in early May, certainly was on her game Friday. She didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning to lead fourth-seeded Mundelein to a 6-0 victory over fifth-seeded Libertyville in the 4A Buffalo Grove regional championship game.
Zepeda (8-4) struck out 18, walked five and surrendered just two hits in seven shutout innings for the Mustangs (22-10), who advance to the Stevenson Sectional semifinals to play another North Suburban Conference rival, the top-seeded host Patriots, at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“Sophia has always been ready to step in and do what she can do for the team, so this year she knew she would get more of the pitching responsibility with Shae out with her injury,” Mundelein coach Heather Ryan said. “She’s such a tough, resilient, hardworking kid. She had some injuries but did a great job rehabbing and getting ready for the playoffs.
“She brought the heat today, and her pitching was really hitting. She hit her spots.”
Zepeda struck out five over the final two innings and finished her stellar performance by snaring a hard-hit hopper and throwing to first base for the last out.
She struck out 16 against Buffalo Grove in the regional semifinals and has 164 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings this season.
“I threw a lot of rise balls, and that was working in our semifinal game as well,” Zepeda said. “That’s what I’ve been working on every day.”
Zepeda, who also plays volleyball and basketball, was impressive in relief in the third-place game last year. She said she then prepared in the offseason to be the Mustangs’ No. 1 pitcher.
“The state experience was really good for me because I saw my potential and how good I can be,” she said. “That really drove me in the offseason. I just lit up the offseason and went to the cages and threw a lot.”
The Wildcats (23-9) split the season series with the Mustangs but failed to get a hit on Friday until junior Taylor Higham, who took the loss after pitching six-plus innings, ended Zepeda’s bid for a no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth. Libertyville junior Maddy Kleemann followed with a single up the middle, but Zepeda escaped a two-out, bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.
“(Zepeda) dominated us and pitched great, and they made all the plays defensively,” Libertyville coach Dar Townsend said.
Mundelein senior first baseman Claire Connelly, an Indiana State recruit who holds multiple program records, said Zepeda has proved she’s a gamer.
“Not pitching much last season, she has stepped up and come back stronger after her injuries,” Connelly said. “She’s become a more dominant pitcher and always stays composed. I don’t think she missed a pitch today. She was nonstop and didn’t take a pitch off.”
Mundelein freshman catcher Sarah Benes agreed that Zepeda is rounding into elite form.
“She hit her spots today,” Benes said. “She was strong and hasn’t missed anything since her injury.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
