Marikate Ritterbusch will graduate from Benet having earned six varsity letters, three each in volleyball and softball.
The Villanova volleyball commit wasn’t the best player on either team, but she may be the best athlete in the senior class. In volleyball, Ritterbusch was a backup libero who helped the Redwings reach the Class 4A state championship match in each of the past three seasons.
In softball, she played first base for two seasons, including when the Redwings finished third in Class 3A in 2023, but she has switched to center field while continuing to produce as the No. 9 hitter.
“Usually your nine-hole hitter, you want them to get on base in order to then have the top of the order coming up,” Benet softball coach Janet Royal said. “That’s why we put Marikate there because she’s usually getting on base.
“She also plays a phenomenal center field and really hits the ball hard, so she has meant a lot to the team, especially as a leader as a senior — and she’s an athlete.”
That athleticism is tested in the spring, when Ritterbusch juggles high school softball and club volleyball.
“It’s really a lot of driving back and forth and kind of just going all over the place in the spring,” she said. “A lot of times, I go from a softball game or practice to my club volleyball practices.”
Volleyball is Ritterbusch’s favorite sport, but she wasn’t about to forgo one more softball season.
“I love them both,” she said. “I’ll be sad once softball is over, but I’m glad I got to play it in the spring my whole life, basically.
“It’s a lot of important time management and just a lot of effort and working with a lot of coaches. I’m grateful that all the coaches I’ve been working with allow me to do both.”
Ritterbusch got the job done both in the field and at the plate on Wednesday. She went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored and made one putout to help the eighth-seeded Redwings beat ninth-seeded Argo 4-1 in a Class 4A Benet Regional semifinal in Lisle.
The Redwings (17-17) will face top-seeded Marist (32-2) in the regional championship game at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Argo (19-9) led 1-0 until the bottom of the third inning, which Ritterbusch began with a single to right. She stole second and scored on a two-out infield single by sophomore catcher Lanie Rosner.
Sophomore pitcher Sophie Rosner, who pitched a six-hitter with no walks and 10 strikeouts, followed with an RBI double to put the Redwings ahead to stay.
“We knew that they had a good pitcher, so talking to each other as everyone else went through the lineup and looking for those early strikes and going after it was really important,” Ritterbusch said.
“When they got that first run, we knew that we had to come back right away. So we got that run back, and it was good once we got our hits going.”
Senior third baseman Bella Iovinelli, who was hitting in front of Ritterbusch, got the Redwings going in her final two at-bats, blasting solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings, with the first striking the scoreboard.
That gave Benet five hits from the bottom two hitters in the lineup.
“It’s awesome to see them step up in this last game and be able to put the ball in play,” Royal said. “Bella hit two home runs after she broke her bat in warmups. She hit two home runs with someone else’s bat, which is phenomenal.”
Iovinelli, who had hit one previous home run this season, borrowed sophomore Sofia Heggie’s bat to do her bashing.
“I tried to find a new one fast,” Iovinelli said. “It worked.”
As has Ritterbusch’s balancing of her busy schedule. She raised her average to .275 and has 23 runs scored, seven RBIs and a team-high eight stolen bases.
“It’s been a lot to juggle, but I’m super grateful just to be a part of these two great programs and to just be able to do what I love over and over again,” she said. “It’s taught me a lot about hard work and time balancing.”
Ritterbusch’s teammates are thankful she stuck around.
“She is honestly such a good teammate,” Iovinelli said. “She’s always there to lift you up. Whether you do good or bad, she’s always the first person to say, ‘Good job.’”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
