Softball: Grant Park comes up short against Milledgeville

Updated: May 28, 2012 7:50PM

Grant Park coach Dave Rademacher was well aware that his hitters were going to have a tough matchup against Milledgeville pitcher Emily Bush.

Bush complemented her 63 mile per hour fast ball with an array of change-ups, screw balls and curve balls that had the Dragons off balance in their 9-1 loss for the Class 1A Northern Illinois supersectional on Monday.

The Missilles (25-8) will advance to East Peoria for the state semifinals for the first time in school history after just missing last season. The Dragons complete their season with a 15-12 record.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Rademacher said. “I was just hoping that some of the things we learned from Beecher and Bishop McNamara and all those other good teams we played would carry in here.”

Bush, the team’s leadoff hitter, started the game with a double and later scored on one of the Dragons six errors. Bush was 2-for-4 with an RBI while going the distance, allowing one unearned run, scattering three hits and striking out eight.

Courtney Swalve homered for the Missilles in the fourth. What was first a two-run home run turned into a solo after the first runner was ruled out after an appeal at home.

Kelsey Hayen was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Kayleigh Leddy added a two-run double, while Brandie Gelwicks hit a triple and Jestine Imel added an RBI-double.

“This is so cool,” Bush said. “I am already excited. We just played really good and we have a great team and this feels awesome. We made it to supersectionals last year and we wanted this since the beginning of the year.”

Down 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Erin McMahan scored the only run for the Dragons on an error by the centerfielder on a deep drive to center. McMahan came all the way home on the play.

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