Latest news with #IllinoisWesleyanSupersectional
Chicago Tribune
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Bella Cortes comes up with more big hits for Providence. On her dad's birthday, no less. ‘This one is my favorite.'
BLOOMINGTON — For the record, the last name of Providence's Bella Cortes isn't 'Cortez,' no matter what it says on the roster or the back of her uniform. Also for the record? During a four-day postseason stretch, the freshman right fielder has come up as one the best clutch hitters in the state. Just ask freshman pitcher Macie Robbins. 'I'm just so proud of her — she's so clutch,' Robbins said. 'She did it again. It was like déjà vu.' Cortes' single in the ninth inning Monday drove in pinch-runner Reagan Singler to give the Celtics a 5-4 win over defending Class 3A state champion Pontiac in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional at Inspiration Field at Carol Willis Park in Bloomington. It's been an amazing run. A walk-off, game-winning hit Friday in the 10th to win the sectional. A walk-off, game-winning hit against Pontiac, on her father Sam's birthday, to win the supersectional. In the end, Cortes was happy she could be an inspiration for her team and her dad. 'It was great to do it for his birthday,' Bella said of Sam. 'He wanted me to make his birthday fun, and that's what I tried to do.' Cortes and Robbins each had fun at the plate with two hits apiece for Providence (25-11), which will play at 10 a.m. Saturday against St. Laurence (23-7) in the state semifinals at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. Olivia Vittori opened the ninth inning Monday with a single to spark the winning rally for Providence and then advanced to third base on bunts delivered by both Robbins and Ella Kucala. Stanford commit Elena Krause ended up with the loss for Pontiac (26-10), striking out nine. For Cortes, it has been quite a stretch, considering she hit the game-winning single Friday to pull off a thrilling 1-0 win in 10 innings over Lemont in the Ottawa Sectional. 'I liked this one better because it means we're going to state,' Cortes said of Monday's heroics. 'It's going to be a great time. Both hits were really important, but this one is my favorite.' Especially when considering the Celtics trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Cortes cranked a double to the right-center wall off Krause to score two runs and break the ice. 'That was huge,' Providence coach Jim Holba said. 'We were waiting for something like that to happen that would let us believe we could beat (Krause). 'We're obviously very young and we were probably a little nervous facing an excellent pitcher. We needed that break to open things up and relax a little bit and play like we can.' Cortes, for one, didn't want to be intimidated by Krause. 'I knew she could spin the ball really well and I knew that I needed to get on top of her pitches,' Cortes said. 'I kept my hands high and tried to get on top of her pitches the best I could.' With Robbins, Cortes and freshman shortstop Aleigh Hill on the roster — plus five sophomores and four juniors — the future looks bright for Providence. But right now, the present is looking pretty special, too. The Celtics split two GCAC games this spring with St. Laurence. Providence prevailed 4-2 on April 29 at home and lost 1-0 on May 9 in Burbank. While Holba hasn't made many errors as a coach, he did confirm he was responsible for misspelling Cortes' name on the jersey and the roster. 'I messed up,' he said. 'But I OK'd it with her grandfather (also Sam). He said there was no problem.' 'It's fine,' Bella said. 'I didn't feel the need to change the uniform.' Not when she's playing like this.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Sophomore Shane Torres takes control behind plate for Waubonsie Valley. But he can hit, too. ‘Irreplaceable for us.'
Shane Torres, who caught 25 games on the varsity as a freshman last spring, has been an anchor defensively for Waubonsie Valley throughout its surprising playoff run. And that's not a shock. Pitching has been key for the Warriors, but what happens behind the plate is just as important. 'He's one of the best there is,' Waubonsie coach Bryan Acevedo said of Torres. 'I truly believe that. He's able to handle all of our different pitchers and block everything in the dirt. 'We can have confidence we can throw anything in any count. Even with a guy on third base, we know it's not getting by him. And this year, he's added the offense. He's irreplaceable for us.' High praise, especially for a sophomore like Torres. And he was at it again Saturday. Torres handled a gem thrown by senior right-hander Nick Lambert as the 10th-seeded Warriors upset Downers Grove North 5-0 in the Class 4A Lockport Sectional final at Ed Flink Field. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Torres, who bats left-handed, also led the offense for surging Waubonsie (23-12) with two singles, a walk and two RBIs. 'He does an amazing job,' said Lambert, who did likewise in pitching a five-hitter with three strikeouts and no walks on just 75 pitches. 'He's a good framer, good blocker. 'He keeps the run game down, which really helps.' The Warriors also had just five hits, but took advantage of seven walks issued by three pitchers for the top-seeded Trojans (30-8), who didn't help their cause with three errors. Waubonsie didn't make an error behind Lambert, who followed up the first-rate effort in the semifinals by ace Owen Roberts. 'Nick has been unbelievable for us on the mound this year,' Acevedo said. 'He's gotten better every single time out. He threw some last year, and we talked in the offseason. He asked what he had to do to be in the rotation. 'I said, 'You're stuff has to be a little sharper,' and, jeez, did he do that. Owen gets a lot of notoriety, but Nick has been equally good. We play good defense behind him and find ways to score runs. It's special.' Last season, Waubonsie lost 3-2 to Downers Grove North in the sectional final on a walk-off homer in the seventh. Lambert, who last week pitched the Warriors to the regional title, didn't pitch that game in 2024 but still remembered. 'It gave me a little confidence,' Lambert said of winning the regional. 'But I did come in here pretty nervous. I try to work quick, throw strikes, let them put the ball in play and trust my defense.' Lambert finished it in style for the Warriors — who play Monday at 6 p.m. in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional against Normal Community (35-4), a 10-8 winner over O'Fallon — by fielding a comeback grounder and running it to first base himself. That clinched the program's first sectional title since Michael Bowden, who went on to play for the Chicago Cubs, led Waubonsie to the Class AA quarterfinals in 2005. 'We came in understanding we're playing with a little house money,' Acevedo said. 'We're not supposed to be here and that's helped us play loose. Having been here last year helped, too.' Senior right fielder Josh Hung also drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and single. Roberts, playing second base, scored twice after reaching base three times. Torres, an academic all-conference pick who uses a wide stance at the plate that he developed on his own, said Waubonsie's approach was to be patient and not chase. And it worked out well. 'For me, it's a case of more simple, less movement,' Torres said. 'There's less head movement which helps me see the ball better.' Torres had a narrow stance with a huge leg kick in eighth grade. 'It didn't really work well, so I simplified it and came by it myself,' he said. 'With two strikes, I'd widen up a little bit and I'd hit better, so I thought, 'Why don't I just stay there?'' Little wonder his coach said of Torres, 'He's special.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Colgate recruit Kelcie McGraw brushes away adversity as Lockport ousts Lincoln-Way Central. ‘That's good to hear.'
During and after games, senior pitcher Kelcie McGraw is used to getting compliments from her Lockport teammates. The one she received Friday from senior teammate Rheanna Slavicek after the biggest win of her high school career, however, caught her a bit by surprise. Slavicek pointed out that the Colgate recruit was her role model. 'Really? That's good to hear,' McGraw said with a smile. 'I've had little girls say it before, but it means so much to have someone on the team say it. 'I've been told that I'm a leader and people expect me to be a leader. But that has never been said to me.' The role model and her apprentice both made magic for the host Porters in a 2-0 victory in 10 innings over Lincoln-Way Central in the Class 4A Lockport Sectional championship game. McGraw scattered six hits and struck out 11 for the Porters (30-9). Slavicek came through with an RBI triple that broke a scoreless tie. McGraw added an RBI single for the second run. Florida State recruit Lisabella Dimitrijevic struck out 15 for Lincoln-Way Central (34-2). Ellie McLaughlin and Jaimee Bolduc added two hits apiece. Lockport will play Bradley-Bourbonnais (22-12) at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional. Friday's game was a classic in every sense of the word. The Porters produced base runners in six innings, while the Knights had scoring chances in eight. The two staff aces shut the door time after time. 'It's always a good battle between me and her,' McGraw said of Dimitrijevic. 'It's been like that for four years. We've faced her so many times that it could go either way. 'It does get you a little bit nervous, but you can't let the nerves take over.' Lockport broke through in the top of the 10th. Marie Baranowski led off with a sharp single to right. One out later, Slavicek came to the plate and took a 1-2 pitch to the gap in right field. 'It felt unreal,' Slavicek said. 'I had a different approach from my last time at-bat. I was more loose. I didn't overthink what could happen. I just kind of trusted my training.' McGraw was in the hole while Slavicek raced around the bases all the way to third. 'You can always rely on her whether she's in the outfield or at bat,' McGraw said of Slavicek. 'When she hit that ball, I was thrilled. I knew we were going to win from there and move on.' McGraw gave herself an extra cushion with two outs when she grounded a single up the middle to drive in Slavicek. All that remained for McGraw to slay the Lincoln-Way Central giant was get through the bottom of the 10th. It wasn't easy. McGraw retired the eight and nine hitters, but at the top of the order, McLaughlin kept the Knights alive with an infield single. Kayla Doerre then coaxed a walk. That created the final storybook battle between McGraw and Dimitrijevic. First, however, Western Michigan-bound senior catcher Liliana Janeczko made a trip to the circle. 'I told Kelcie, 'It's me and you out here,'' Janeczko saaid. 'I told her to just imagine nobody else out there. And she locked in.' McGraw got Dimitrijevic to hit a pop fly. Senior shortstop Mikayla Cvitanovich then made a nice catch as she ran toward left field. 'That's a team which is really hard to play,' McGraw said. 'Going into this one, we said that the pressure is all on them, not us. I tried not to think too much about it last night. 'When I woke up this morning, I said, 'OK, we're set. We're ready.''
Chicago Tribune
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Waubonsie Valley's Danyella Mporokoso has ‘a lot of moves in her bag' in supersectional, and she uses them
Waubonsie Valley basketball star Danyella Mporokoso wasn't going to give up. The junior guard knew the score late in the Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional on Monday, but she remained confident. 'I always believed in us,' Mporokoso said. 'Even when we had two seconds on the clock, I believed in us to the end, no matter what. Anything can happen.' Mporokoso made a lot of things happen for the Warriors this season. But she couldn't quite will her team to beat Alton, which pulled out a 67-62 victory in Bloomington despite her game-high 32 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Mporokoso still relished the experience in a game that featured 13 lead changes and seven ties. 'Just being able to be on the court and be on a team that I could believe in, no matter the time, no matter the score, was amazing,' she said. The Warriors (31-2) could have used more size. Alton (33-2), which lost 55-53 to Waubonsie Valley in the same matchup last year, dominated inside with its two senior post players, 6-foot-2 center Talia Norman and 6-1 power forward Jarius Powers. Norman and Powers combined for 34 points and 15 rebounds. Led by 5-9 senior center Lily Newton, who will play guard at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Waubonsie Valley limited Norman and Powers in the first half. But that left Alton's shooters wide open, and senior guard Kiyoko Proctor took advantage to score 19 of her 23 points before halftime. Using a full-court press to force seven turnovers, the Warriors opened the third quarter with a 13-0 run to take a 42-38 lead. Mporokoso scored the first seven points, and Newton followed with two 3-pointers. They eventually led by as many as seven points. Alton regrouped and took the lead before Newton, who had 11 points and five assists, assisted junior guard Maya Cobb on a three-point play that gave the Warriors a 59-57 lead with 4:21 left in the fourth quarter. 'We look to get big plays to motivate both ends of the court, so I thought personally it boosted the energy of everybody else,' Cobb said. 'I hope that in that moment everybody wanted to get a defensive stop to offensively get a bucket.' The Warriors actually got two stops but no bucket. Norman's putback with 1:15 left broke a 59-59 tie and began a 7-0 run by Alton. Mporokoso had a feeling that Cobb's go-ahead play would not be the last word. 'It was nice to get up,' Mporokoso said. 'I wouldn't say it was necessarily a momentum switch just because the game was so back and forth. You always have to be conscious of the score.' The score went Alton's way for an obvious reason. 'Their post,' Mporokoso said. 'They smashed the whole game. They were able to use it to their advantage. That was really it.' It was the end of the line for Newton. The four-year starter finished with 995 career points and no regrets. 'I know it's not supposed to, but it kind of felt like any other game,' Newton said. 'I trusted our team, so I wasn't like too nervous. I knew we were going to play our game, and if it didn't go our way, it didn't. 'But we played our hearts out, and that's all we could ask for.' Waubonsie Valley coach Brett Love couldn't ask for more from Mporokoso. 'She had a lot of moves in her bag, and she was able to pull them out,' Love said. 'She was really ready to play, and she came out and showed it and tried to get it done.' Newton is Waubonsie's only senior starter. The rest will be back to try to get it done next season. 'Looking at our seniors now, seeing them disappointed, I don't want to be in the position where I feel this loss again,' Cobb said. 'I hope it brings motivation to continue to work hard in the offseason and also drive next year's playoff season.' Newton is confident it will. 'I'm excited for these girls next year, I really am,' Newton said. 'I know they're going to take this and not let anybody beat them next year.' Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
Chicago Tribune
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Waubonsie Valley's Maya Pereda regains confidence at critical time. She delivers ‘when we need her' vs. Benet.
Sophomore guard Maya Pereda was feeling a little low after Waubonsie Valley's game on Tuesday. Pereda had attempted just two shots and went scoreless against Bolingbrook in the Class 4A sectional semifinals. 'She had some confidence issues,' Waubonsie Valley coach Brett Love said. 'She don't like when she's not doing things the right way. 'I just told her that she's got to let the game come to her, don't worry about the mistakes. She is one of our X factors. When she gets it going, she can make big shots and contribute in other areas.' Love was confident Pereda would bounce back. So, too, was star junior guard Danyella Mporokoso. 'Last night, I texted her,' Mporokoso said. 'I said I know she's going to show up when we need her.' The encouragement buoyed Pereda's spirits. 'After the game, I asked my coach, 'What can I be doing better?'' Pereda said. 'He just straight up told me it's a confidence issue. If I'm not scoring, focus on the defensive end and get stops. 'Danyella has so much confidence in me, and it helps me so much to be a better player. My team, they believe in me as much as I believe in myself, and it's great just to have that team support.' The 5-foot-7 Pereda played a great supporting role on Thursday. She scored a career-high 12 points, including two tie-breaking baskets in the fourth quarter, and added four rebounds and three assists as the second-seeded Warriors edged the top-seeded Benet 66-61 to win the Bolingbrook Sectional title. 'She was a big part of it,' Mporokoso said. 'She stepped up when we needed it and hit some important shots — and then also some important passes too.' Mporokoso led all players with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Waubonsie Valley (31-1), which advances to play Alton (32-2) in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional in Bloomington at 7 p.m. Monday. Junior guard Arie Garcia-Evans had 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, and junior guard Maya Cobb added 12 points. The Warriors needed every bit of that production because Benet (29-3) roared back from a 23-6 deficit behind junior guard Bridget Rifenburg, who scored 13 of her team-high 16 points in the second half, including a pair of game-tying layups. But Pereda answered both times, hitting a jumper to break a 48-48 tie and then taking a kick-out from Mporokoso and knocking down a 3-pointer for a 53-50 lead with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter. 'I was just hoping I would get my shot off and straighten up,' Pereda said. 'I was relaxing because I knew there were still parts of the game left. 'We work a lot on making that shot possible, get a nice rhythm, and I just decided to take it. It went in.' As Mporokoso felt it would. 'Oh, yeah,' Mporokoso said. 'I felt that come off. I'm like, 'That's a good pass,' and I know she can hit it.' That's not all Pereda did. With the Warriors up 55-52, Pereda drew a charging foul on Rifenburg, who seconds later fouled out with 1:26 left. Mporokoso then hit two free throws. 'She was standing in the right place at the right time,' Love said of Pereda. 'We always talk about helping early, stepping up in the gaps, and she took a chance and was able to get it.' Pereda was floored but bounced up quickly. 'It didn't hurt that bad,' she said. 'That was a great adrenaline rush. To get that charge felt great, and at that point, the momentum shifted, and it was just straight on for us.' Pereda was also in the right spot when she rebounded Benet senior guard Aria Mazza 's missed 3-point try that would have tied the game with 8.9 seconds left. Mporokoso then made two free throws to clinch it as Waubonsie Valley beat the Redwings in the sectional final for the second straight season. 'I told them I'm disappointed for them, I'm not disappointed in them,' Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. 'They fought and really battled to get back in the game and give themselves a chance. 'It stings. They've been working for a year to get back here, and I liked our chances.' But Mporokoso liked the Warriors' chances, too, and knew Pereda would be ready to help in any way possible. 'She brings a lot of IQ,' Mporokoso said. 'She watches so much film. She really learns the game, and then she shares that with everyone. If she sees something, she tells everyone else, and we get to learn from her.'
