Eagles fend off Panthers’ late-inning rally, earn spot in regional championship game

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Jade Blair’s hair was a bit frazzled, and her eyes carried a look that her check-engine light was probably blinking.

Still, the Liberty right-hander was able to gather her wits, weather a couple of late-inning storms and pitch the Eagles past Central 5-4 in the Class 1A Central Regional softball semifinals Wednesday night.

“I was running out of gas,” an exhausted Blair admitted afterward.

Even though she may have been on fumes, Blair finished off fifth-seeded Liberty’s upset of third-seeded Central with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, triggering an energetic post-game celebration by the Eagles (8-16) in the middle of the infield.

Liberty (8-16) entered the game the No. 5 seed. Central (19-9) was the No. 3 seed. 

“Jade’s been our ace most of the year,” Liberty coach B.J. Fessler said. “I thought we had a good game plan coming in. We had good notes, a good scouting report.”

Fueled by Blair’s pitching, particularly early in the game, Liberty’s sky-high dugout rarely relented at any point in cheering on their teammates.

“Our energy was amazing,” Blair said.

Fessler noted the same.

“I was proud of that energy the team brought,” he said.

Even Central coach Amy Hildebrand tipped her hat.

“We had beaten Liberty twice before, but they were mentally prepared,” Hildebrand said. “We weren’t overconfident, because when you enter the postseason everyone is 0-0. We were not overlooking Liberty.”

Liberty advances to Saturday’s 10 a.m. regional championship game against another upset winner — No. 7 seed Unity (9-11), which outlasted No. 2 seed Pleasant Hill in a 13-inning marathon 4-0. Unity is 3-0 against Liberty this season.

Liberty took Central (19-9) out of its game early, establishing a 4-0 lead by the middle of the second inning and eventually building the margin to 5-1.

Hildebrand said when Liberty jumped on her club early it forced the Panthers away from their normal approach of forcing the action. Instead, Central found itself having to play more cautious in a catch-up role.

Central made matters exciting in the home half of the sixth by scoring three runs. Blair, however, induced a two-out ground ball back to the mound — with runners on second and third -— to avoid further damage. Central also left two runners on base in the preceding inning.

Fessler said his club’s ability to get off to the fast start removed a lot of the early pressure and allowed the Eagles to control the momentum the first half of the game.

Madi Tritsch, Larissa Neisen and Natalie Hildebrand each collected a pair of hits for Liberty. Blair, Makenna Zanger and Reese Vance each had one hit.

Karlee Marlow banged out a pair of hits for Central. Carlie Goehl, Libby Ippensen , Macie Reuschel, Lauren Miller, Madelyn Hamilton and Haley Cramer all had one hit.