Seneca defeats Daniel 3-1 to advance to baseball state championship series
Central –
Seneca gets an RBI double from Rafael Little & a 2-out, 2 run double from Kade Scruggs to eliminate Daniel in the 4A Upper State finals series.
The Bobcats will face Airport in the 4A State Champion series starting Tuesday night at Seneca.
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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Instead of going to another high school, Taylor Norkus gets Beecher back to state with walk-off hit. ‘So grateful.'
EAST PEORIA — Taylor Norkus almost wasn't a Beecher Bobcat. When she was in middle school, Norkus and her parents had a decision to make. Norkus was a talented pitcher, but at Beecher, she would likely be behind Ava Lorenzatti, who was in the same 2026 class and even back then was considered one of the top pitchers in the country. 'There was an opportunity for me to go to a different school,' Norkus said. 'We passed it up and this is where we are now. I'm so grateful for that.' So is Beecher, especially after Norkus' heroics Monday. The junior pitcher earned the win in relief and delivered a two-out, walk-off single in the 10th inning, sending the Bobcats back to state with a 4-3 win over Brimfield/Elmwood in the Class 2A East Peoria Supersectional at the EastSide Centre. Norkus, a Colgate recruit, threw the final 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run. She struck out eight and scattered five hits. Northern Kentucky commit Makenzie Johnson went 2-for-5 with an RBI double and Lorenzatti, a Florida State recruit, added an RBI double for Beecher (35-2). Carmela Irwin singled and drew a walk, while Rockford commit Tayiah Scanlan made two key catches in left field. The Bobcats will take on Auburn (24-5) at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. Beecher, which clinched the eighth state trophy in program history, will play in the Final Four for the second time in three years after last season's supersectional loss. 'I'm so excited,' Johnson said. 'Last year, we came up short down here against Rockridge. That hurt. This season, we knew this was our year. We needed to make it back. 'We weren't going down again like we did last year.' Norkus has pitched terrifically all season, but her batting has been inconsistent. Her average is .289, she was hitless in her last five games and she wasn't in Monday's starting lineup. But when she came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th, she was ready to break some hearts for Brimfield/Elmwood (33-4). 'My mind was just like, 'Hit the ball — the game has to end somehow,'' Norkus said. 'There was a lot of pressure, but I just really wanted to do it for my team.' Norkus then ripped a single up the middle to start the celebration for the Bobcats. 'Her pitching has been amazing, but hitting … we didn't know which Taylor we were going to get,' Johnson said. 'Line drive base hit up the middle to walk us off. It was great. She's amazing.' Beecher coach Kevin Hayhurst, who celebrated after the game with a lime snow cone he got from a food truck at the stadium, was definitely proud of Norkus. 'That was really nice to see,' Hayhurst said. 'She didn't start the game. She didn't pout. She was ready to go. She's a team player.' When it comes to pitching, Norkus has certainly taken a backseat to Lorenzatti in past years. But this season, she has appeared in 25 games to Lorenzatti's 21. Norkus is 17-1 with a 1.03 ERA and Lorenzatti is 18-1 with a 1.48 ERA. Norkus also has had plenty of motivation. Before the season, she knew that, if she was going to get more than a few pitching chances, she was going to have to earn them. 'You know you really have to be good,' Norkus said. 'You have to take after her footsteps. There can't be a hole in the pitching staff. I try to fill that.' Lorenzatti was terrific through five innings Monday, allowing just one hit as Beecher took a 3-0 lead. But Brimfield/Elmwood started hitting her in the sixth, rallying to tie the game, Norkus was there to help. What a duo. 'We really have each other's backs,' Norkus said. 'I didn't expect to have this big of a role this season, but it feels amazing.'
Yahoo
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Byrnes softball wins 5A DI state title; BHP falls in 3A softball; Seneca loses to Airport in 4A baseball
Byrnes scores 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to walk-off Summerville 5-4 in 5A DI softball state championship. It's the Rebels 1st state title since 2001 & 6th overall. Aynor wins at BHP 5-1 to claim second 3A softball state title in 3 years. Seneca falls to Airport 10-0 in 6 innings of 4A baseball state championship series. It's the Eagles first ever state title in baseball. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sharpsville softball falls in district title game
ERIE, Pa. (WKBN) – Sharpsville softball loses to Seneca in the Class 2A District Championship game, 14-5, at Penn State Behrend Monday afternoon. Watch above for extended highlights. Sharpsville's Izzie Candiotti drove in two runs with two hits in the loss. The Blue Devils as a team posted eight hits in the defeat. Seneca's Haylee Farrell led the way for the Bobcats with one home run and drove in four runs in the win. The Blue Devils were down, 6-5, until the Bobcats rattled off an eight-run sixth inning on the way to victory. Blue Devils will face the District 7 No. 1 seed on Monday, June 2 in the 2025 PIAA Softball Tournament First Round. All statistics provided by our friends at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
