Yorkville overmatches IMSA in 3A regional

Updated: May 24, 2011 8:09PM

They were out of their league and it showed, but at least the Illinois Math & Science Academy softball team extended the game in its final at-bat.

“We’re just not a 3A school, no matter what the IHSA may say,” said Titans coach Sam Bonafede after his team fell 12-2 in five innings to the top-seeded hosts at the Yorkville Class 3A Regional.

The Foxes (21-10) move on to Saturday’s title game against the winner of today’s game between Rosary and Sandwich.

IMSA, of course, is the victim of the IHSA’s 1.65 multiplier that boosts its enrollment for playoff classification. This, even though the school’s “private” status doesn’t give its athletic programs a leg up on the competition in any way, shape or form.

Yorkville junior Lauren Rhodes (10-4) threw a six-hitter for the winners and likely would have had a shutout if not for a pair of fifth-inning errors that helped the visitors get on the board after entering that inning trailing 11-0.

The IMSA rally included singles by Ashley Smith, Sam Donermeyer and Jess Grady’s second of the day. The scores pushed the game to the bottom of the fifth, where Yorkville, mercifully, ended it when Rhodes scored with one out on the Titans’ seventh error of the game.

Junior pitcher Melissa Perkins (13-8) deserved a better fate as IMSA closed its season 14-9.

“We knew we were overmatched,” Bonafede said. “And, overall, we didn’t play as well as we could on the defensive end.”

Yorkville shortstop Devin Turner led the Foxes’ 10-hit attack with a single, a double and a walk and three RBI.

“We hit the ball pretty well and they made some mistakes,” Yorkville coach Kathi Dockstader said. “(Perkins) did a nice job, she got us on a few high pitches.”

This is Dockstader’s first team to top the 20-win mark and might be the first in school history to do so. The Foxes have been on a roll of late, winning 13 of their last 15.

The run doesn’t coincide exactly with the promotion of freshman pitcher Rachael Owens, who was held out of this one, but will likely start the title game.

“Neither Rosary or Sandwich have seen (Owens). She wasn’t up when we played them,” said Dockstader, whose team split with Indians (losing 3-2, winning 7-4) and beat the Royals (10-6) in matchups earlier this season.

“(Rhodes) did a nice job today and I’ll have no problem bringing her in if Rachel gets in any trouble (on Saturday).

“In these last 15 games, we’ve just been playing with a lot more confidence and belief that we’re a good team. There’s wasn’t any one game that was a turning point, it’s just developed as the season has gone on.”

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