QND softball team overcomes error-riddled effort to advance to regional title tilt

PETERSBURG, Ill. — Uncharacteristic lapses defensively didn’t cost the Quincy Notre Dame softball team a spot in the regional championship game, but it gives the Raiders a focal point to address in the coming days.

Top-seeded QND committed seven errors, although none of them resulted in runs, and scratched across enough runs Tuesday to beat eighth-seeded Beardstown 2-1 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Petersburg PORTA Regional.

“I know it’s about survive and advance,” QND coach Eric Orne said. “But our overall effort wasn’t great tonight. We need to have a good practice (Wednesday) to make sure we correct a few things and get ready to play for a regional title.”

The Raiders (23-8) will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between No. 4 Athens and No. 6 Pleasant Plains in Friday’s regional championship. With storms a possibility Friday, conversations have begun to potentially move the title game to Thursday.

For now, the Raiders simply know they have to get back to work.

“You have to go out there and represent the uniform and do what it takes,” Orne said.

QND grabbed the lead in the second inning when Brooke Boden led off with a double, went to third on Payton Stupavsky’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch. In the third, Laela Hernandez-Jones singled with one out, went to second on an error and scored on Abbey Schreacke’s two-out single to right field.

That was enough run support for Caitlin Bunte. The freshman left-hander allowed just three hits, struck out three and walked one. The Tigers scored their only run in the fifth with a double and single back-to-back.

“Caitlin kept us in the game,” Orne said. “She was efficient.”

It gave the Raiders another opportunity to prove they can bounce back.

“We need to stay positive, have a good practice, work on some things in the cage and get a little more disciplined,” Orne said. “We can’t have a worse game than we had tonight. We need to rise up and meet the opportunity we have.”