First-inning onslaught propels QND softball team to Class 2A regional championship

PETERSBURG, Ill. — Heading into her first regional championship, Quincy Notre Dame freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte admittedly was jittery.

“I was really nervous,” Bunte said. “I felt pretty confident, but there were some nerves.”

After recording the first two outs of the top of the first inning — the first on an amazing catch by left fielder Laela Hernandez-Jones — Bunte allowed a solo home run to Pleasant Plains center fielder Lacey Boltz before getting out of the inning.

The Cardinals’ lead was short-lived.

Bunte led off the bottom of the first with a double off the right-field wall. After a walk, junior Abbey Schreake singled home the tying run. Sophomore first baseman Brooke Boden followed by belting a three-run home run to left field, completely shifting momentum and propelling the Raiders to a 10-3 victory in the Class 2A PORTA Regional championship.

“It was a 3-2 count, so I was just going for anything close to get the ball on the barrel and hit one hard,” Boden said.

Sending Bailey Meyer’s pitch out of the park changed everything.

“Yeah, it was a real energy booster,” Boden said. “And I think it got us going for the rest of the inning and honestly the rest of the game.”

Bunte agreed.

“It was really important because we needed to get that back,” she said. “We couldn’t fall down. We had to pick ourselves back up and we had to be ready to go again.”

That will be the case Tuesday as well. QND (24-8) advances to the Class 2A Athens Sectional and will face Buffalo Tri-City at 6:30 p.m. The Tornadoes are 25-2 and have outscored their opponents 264-27 with University of Illinois recruit Delaney Chumbley leading the way.

Tri-City beat QND 3-1 in 10 innings in the sectional semifinals.

It’s a rematch the Raiders wanted.

“I’m so ready,” Boden said. “I’m ready to go.”

That fueled the first-inning outburst, which wasn’t complete with Boden’s homer. After back-to-back walks, QND catcher Lindsey Fischer blasted her own three-run homer to extend the lead to 7-1 and knock out Meyer.

The big lead allowed Bunte to settle in on the mound. 

“It definitely did,” Bunte said. “Like it’s always great knowing that we have some backup and some cushion as a pitcher.”

Bunte dodged traffic on the bases the entire game, having just one clean inning in the sixth. QND’s defense was solid, including Fischer throwing out two runners attempting to steal third base. 

QND coach Eric Orne was pleased with the freshman’s performance.

“Caitlin did a great job,” he said. “She’s done that over the last two weeks, throws a lot of strikes, is very, very efficient. But you know, getting seven back after they got one in the first was really the swing of the game.”

QND kept adding on. Boden ripped an RBI single in the second inning, driving in Schreake.  Bunte helped her own cause with a solo home run in the fourth. Freshman second baseman Alyssa Ley closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the fourth.

The left-handed Bunte took it from there. 

“I think she just was able to settle in … doesn’t feel like the whole pressure (of the game) is on her back,” Orne said.

Boden agreed.

“Caitlin did a great job under the pressure and just keeping the ball low. Especially with this wind today. She did a really good job.”