Softball: Antioch’s bats come alive again in sectional win over Grayslake Central
On another day, perhaps against a slight defensive shift, Antioch senior outfielder Aubrey Ultsch’s 3-run homer in a playoff game Wednesday afternoon might have been caught — by the shortstop.
In a Class 3A Antioch softball sectional semifinal against Grayslake Central, her second inning, line-drive shot didn’t start rising until well into its low-flight path toward left-center at McMillen Field.
“It kept carrying,” Antioch freshman outfielder Tegan Schuler said.
And carrying and carrying and … .
Ultsch’s fifth round-tripper of the spring — on an 0-2 count and against a fairly stiff wind, no less — ignited the Sequoits’ 5-run second inning in an 11-0, five-inning victory and backed another fine performance by senior ace and Michigan State-bound Jacey Schuler, who improved to 20-3 after allowing 3 hits and 2 walks and striking out 8.
Antioch finished with 15 hits and now has connected for 131 hits in only 11 games in May.
Or just under 12 hits per game.
“Our offense is out of control,” Antioch coach Anthony Rocco gushed after the third meeting between the Northern Lake County Conference teams. “Fantastic game today, against a team we split with this season. For us, it was simple: We hit, we’re going to win.
“It’s nice having Aubrey hit where she hits (No. 9 in the batting order),” he added.
Leadoff hitter Tegan Schuler delivered a homer, also her fifth of 2024, to right-center as Ultsch was still being congratulated in the happy home dugout. Antioch upped its lead to 5-0 in the second frame on an RBI-groundout off the bat of sophomore catcher Addison Webb.
The Sequoits (26-5) plated 2 runs in third inning and 4 more in the fourth against the fourth-seeded Rams (17-14).
Top-seeded Antioch, the reigning 3A state runner-up, faces the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between second-seeded Wauconda and third-seeded Lakes for a sectional championship on its home diamond at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“Antioch is a great team, and I have a lot of respect for it,” said Grayslake Central coach Jim Plaza, whose squad defeated Antioch 5-3 on April 9 and bowed 7-1 to the Sequoits on May 2. “Our group was incredible this year. Words can’t fully express how proud I am of my wonderful players.”
Rams sophomore first baseman Katie Davies crushed a leadoff double to left in the top of the second and scooted to third base on junior starting pitcher Ann Wolff’s sacrifice bunt. But Jacey Schuler fanned the next two batters to quell what ended up being the visitors’ top threat of the afternoon.
“Aubrey brought the energy with her homer,” said Tegan Schuler, who finished with 3 hits and 2 RBI.
“Down 0-2 in the count,” Ultsch said, “my thinking was, ‘Swing away.’ I looked to attack the next pitch.”
Sequoits sophomore second baseman Jadynn Ruiz went 3-for-4 and drove in the seventh run of the game in the third inning. Senior first baseman Grace Green singled and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, and sophomore shortstop Claire Schulyer singled twice.
Wolff (10-7) and senior third baseman Trinity Breault struck the Rams’ other two hits.