Wolves end Ducks’ seventh-inning rally with play at plate to advance to sectional title game

GLASFORD, Ill. — As the runner came down the third-base line and the throw sailed in from right field with both destined to meet at home plate, Pleasant Hill softball coach Ryan Lowe momentarily held his breath.

Most everyone else did, too.

“Oh, my goodness,” Lowe said. “It was that way the whole game.”

Kaitlyn Borrowman threw a one-hopper to Wolves catcher Makenna Winchell, who put the tag on Havana’s Jaylynn Sarnes for the final out in Pleasant Hill’s 5-4 victory Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 1A Illini Bluffs Sectional.

“That was a nail-biter for sure,” Lowe said.

Literally right down to the final out.

The Wolves (26-5) erased a three-run deficit by scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings and twice in the fifth. After McKinley Lowe led off the bottom of the fifth with a double, Winchell roped a liner to right-center field that got past the right fielder and turned into a stand-up triple.

“We have some speed through our lineup, but Makenna is one of those players people don’t always think of as being super fast,” Lowe said. “But man, she turned on the jets and the next thing I know she was standing beside me at third.”

Hannah Hill followed with a double to right field that plated Winchell with the go-ahead run.

“I knew it could be close if we didn’t put a bunch of runs on them,” Ryan Lowe said. “The next thing we knew we were down 4-1 and we just kind of battled and battled. We finally came back and took the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

“I said, ‘Girls, how bad do you want it? You have to get six more outs.’ I would have liked to have had another insurance run, but they got it done.”

McKinley Lowe retired the Ducks in order in the top of the sixth, but she walked Sarnes to lead off the top of the seventh and then allowed a single to Lauren Herbst. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position before Havana’s Addison Atwater hit a flyball to right field.

Borrowman caught the ball cleanly and came up throwing.

“When it mattered, we got it done,” Ryan Lowe said.

Ava Wombles went 3 for 3 with two runs scored, racing home on a wild pitch in the first inning and scoring on Jade Peebles sacrifice fly in the third inning. Borrowman’s sacrifice fly in the fourth plated Lilly McElfresh. Winchell went 2 for 3.

McKinley Lowe threw 101 pitches over seven innings, allowing one earned run and seven hits. She struck out eight and walked one despite dealing with pain in her elbow.

“It’s basically tennis elbow,” Ryan Lowe said. “It flares up when it wants to. Unfortunately, we don’t have 10 days rest. We’ll battle through it.”

McKinley Lowe, who had ice on the elbow after the game, has an appointment Thursday to get treatment and will pitch Friday against Illini Bluffs (22-1) if the elbow feels good. Otherwise, Wombles will draw the start.

“I told Ava tonight, ‘Be ready. You may have to go,’” Ryan Lowe said.

The Wolves and the Tigers, ranked 10th and first, respectively, in the latest Illinois Coaches Association state poll, square off at 4:30 p.m. Friday. The winner advances to the Athens Super-Sectional at 11 a.m. Monday.

“We’ve been counting it down and I told the girls they are one of 16 teams left,” Ryan Lowe said. “I said, ‘How bad do you want to go to eight?” Lowe said.