Sectional crown highlight for HHS softball
HUNTLEY — The Huntley girls softball team headed to the Dome at the Ballpark Field in Rosemont with optimism June 3.
The Red Raiders had achieved a 30-win season with a 5-3 verdict against sectional rival Barrington three days earlier. The Huntley squad fought until the final strike against Mundelein in the Class 4A Leyden super-sectional but the 36-1 Mustangs earned the trip to state with a close 2-1 win.
Sophomore Ava McFadden gave the Red Raiders, 30-10 final record, one final chance for a seventh inning tie with a triple. But Mundelein ace Shea Johnson took a deep breath and left McFadden at third base as she struck out the next batter and the Mustangs earned their first state bid in 30 years. Johnson finished with nine strikeouts, the same number of runners that HHS left on base.
Huntley head coach Mark Petrynniec was pleased with the team’s effort one win from a trip to the state tournament final four in Peoria.
“I could not be happier with our effort today,” Petryniec said. He was thrilled with winning the sectional battle of the powers with Barrington the round before. “Barrington is the standard in our area.”
Huntley’s team and many fans were sad for the moment but can take solace in many achievements. Among these include a 30-win season for the fifth time in six seasons, a third sectional title in program history and adding to Fox Valley Conference and regional title runs.
HHS senior Elly Winter, completed her softball career along with third baseman Christina Smith and catcher Meghan Ryan, scored the game-tying run after a triple in the fifth inning. She had a fifth inning triple scored on an RBI bunt by Alyssa Bonner.
“I remember playing softball when I was 10-or-11 years old,” Winter, who also played basketball, said. “I had to earn my role on the varsity.”
The super-sectional game at The Ballpark in Rosmeont tied at 1-1 did not last long. The Mustangs went up 2-1 in their sixth, which held up thanks to Johnson’s strikes. Her pitching even overcame a tough night defensively with five Mundelein errors.
“I was nervous when she (McFadden) tripled, but I figured the next hitter (Lyla Ginczycki)was nervous, too,” Johnson said.
“Johnson had ice water in her veins tonight,” Mundelein coach Heather Ryan said. “I am so proud of our girls.”
Johnson out-dueled Huntley pitcher Gretchen Huber (15-6 record) who had a strong six strikeout game herself.
In addition to the end of the game, another key moment for the winners came when they turned Huntley away with runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth but no runs scored.
For the Red Raiders, players and coaches alike can recall that special moment at Barrington’s Field of Dreams as its team highlight. That followed a hard-fought battle in the sectional semis against Rockford Auburn which the Red Raiders prevailed, 5-3.
Huntley’s storied softball program includes a Class 4A State Championship in 2918-19 with a 1-0 win over St. Charles East in the title game; won third place in 2020-21 and coach Petryniec has reached 472 career wins.
Before the game, HHS backers gathered at their section and some parents recalled about their daughters’ sports career.
“She played basketball and softball both at a very young age,” Keith Adamik said of his daughter Aubrina, a sophomore. “She played baseball for three years before switching to softball at age 9 or 10.
“She plays a lot of travel softball,” Scott McFadden, father of Ava, a junior who had the big triple, said.
Some players posed for photos with sign-carrying future HHS softball players.
By about dinner time on the first Monday in June, the Huntley sports season for 2023-24 had come to a close (the baseball team lost its sectional final earlier), but as the Class of 2024 heads to college, it left a lot of success.
