Immediately quashing Bluejays’ momentum allows Raiders to head to regional title tilt

CANTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team didn’t allow Petersburg PORTA’s momentum to last long.

Abbey Schreacke and Brooke Boden took care of that.

After the Bluejays scored twice in the top of the fifth, reducing the Raiders’ three-run edge to one, Schreacke led off the bottom of the frame with a single and took second on an error. Boden followed with a single to center field to plate Schreacke and propelling QND to a 4-2 victory in the semifinals of the Class 2A Canton Regional.

QND (21-5) advances to face either Canton or Midwest Central in Friday’s regional championship. The Little Giants and Tigers will play their semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

After doubling their lead in the fifth, the Raiders’ Caitlin Bunte struck out the side in the sixth and worked around a leadoff single in the seventh. It was the only hit the left-hander allowed as she struck out six and walked two.

The Raiders took the lead in the bottom of the first as Bunte led off with a single, took second on Schreacke’s groundout and scored on an outfield error on Boden’s line drive. Alyssa Ley’s single scored Boden for the 2-0 advantage. QND tacked on a run in the fourth as Addi Zanger walked, took second on a passed ball, went to third on a groundout and scored when Mackenzie Flachs reached on an error.

PORTA capitalized on a hit batter and a walk to open the fifth as both runners were sacrificed into scoring position. A groundout and an error allowed both to score.

Boden finished with two of the Raiders’ eight hits — all of which were singles.