LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
CASEY – The Mayo Lady Redbird softball team made history Saturday, Sept. 21, taking the school’s first-ever sectional softball championship and earning a trip to the IESA Class 2A State Tournament with a 9-2 victory over the Cumberland Lady Raiders.
This Lady Redbird team made the final leap to the sectional title many other Mayo teams before them had tried to achieve. The Redbirds refused to be denied, earning a trip to the state tourney beginning Friday, Sept. 27 at Champion Fields in Normal, Ill.
Mayo, now 19-2 for the season, will face Metamora (23-2) at 4 p.m. A win would assure the team a minimum fourth-place tournament trophy and move them into the semifinals against the winner of the Glasford Illini Bluffs (15-4) versus Staunton (14-0) matchup at noon the same day.
Metamora defeated Washington Middle School 7-2 to win its regional and then took the sectional championship over Mendota Holy Cross 14-0 in four innings.
The Lady Redbirds put together a complete game to take the sectional championship – both the Mayo offense and defense were stellar. Ava Tarr was dominant on the mound, racking up 10 strikeouts and surrendering only three hits and two runs over seven innings in the circle.
Neither team got anything going in the first inning but with one out in the top of the second, Krysten McNulty singled before Tess Barrett came into the game to run for her. Barrett stole second base, then scored on a line drive single to centerfield by Baleigh Bell, giving Mayo a 1-0 lead.
Mayo added four big runs in the top of the third inning. Ava Tarr started things off in the third with a single to the right fielder. Sloan Vilk was safe on an error, allowing Tarr to score and giving Mayo a 2-0 lead. Maddox Adams grounded out but successfully moved Vilk to third base. Leah Sanders bunted safely, allowing Vilk to score and giving the Lady Redbirds a 3-0 lead. Hellie Barrett successfully reached base on a Lady Raider error, putting Mayo runners on second and third with only one out. McNulty came through with another single, scoring Sanders and Barrett. This gave the Lady Redbirds a 5-0 lead.
Cumberland scored its two runs in the bottom of the fourth when an error by Mayo allowed a baserunner. A subsequent double put the Lady Raiders on the board, trailing 5-2.
Mayo added four more runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Harper Pinnell walked and scored on a single by Tarr. Vilk chalked up another single, putting two runners on base with only one out. Adams hit a single to load the bases.
Sanders knocked a sacrifice fly to the centerfielder, allowing Tarr to cross home plate. Hellie Barrett then smacked a triple to center field to allow Vilk and Adams to score, bringing about the 9-2 final score.
Mayo banged out nine runs on 10 hits with one error in the game. Ava Tarr was three for four at the plate with one RBI. Krysten McNulty was two for four with one RBI in the game.
Hellie Barrett collected the only extra-base hit for Mayo, a triple, cashing in two RBIs. Leah Sanders had one hit and two RBIs. Sloan Vilk, Maddox Adams and Baleigh Bell each singled.