Getting to State Tourney on Lisle Softball Players' Minds

The constellations appear to be lining up for Lisle High School’s softball team this spring.

Take a quick look at the Lions’ lineage. The juniors on this season’s squad played together in junior high school on a team that advanced to the state tournament. A few of this year’s seniors have siblings who played for Lisle’s 2007 state qualifying team.

Lisle has fallen just short of making the Class 2A state tourney each of the past two years, dropping supersectional contests to Coal City and Morrison, respectively.

In 2009, the Lions were, in coach Jen Pomatto’s words, “out-manned” by the Coalers and shut out 6-0. Last May, though, Lisle played Morrison tough before dropping a 3-1 heartbreaker.

Graduation took only three seniors from that squad. Combine all of the above with a team that’s carrying a collective chip on its shoulder from last year’s loss—“Our kids are kind of angry. They don’t want to get there again and have that happen,” Pomatto said—and you see why there’s plenty of reason to believe Lisle can take the next step and go downstate.

Oh, one more thing: Once-invincible Coal City has suddenly fallen on hard times. The Coalers saw their 47-game winning streak—one that dated back to 2009—come to an end after Kankakee defeated them 8-4 on April 6. And last week, the Lions handed their longtime Interstate Eight nemesis consecutive losses on Monday (12-1) and Tuesday (8-3).

Senior ace pitcher and junior infielder Mackenzie Buchelt, one of Lisle’s leading hitters, are good friends. They were driving around the other day, and the topic of conversation turned to the state tournament.

“We were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome? Us making it to state,’ ” Houda said. “It’s always going to be in the back of your mind after two years losing at supersectionals. We’re one game away from making it to state.

“A lot of girls are like, ‘We have to make it to state this year. This is our year.’ We all know that we have the potential to do it; we just have to execute this year.”

But Pomatto cautions her team and Lisle fans not to jump the gun. Although going to state is the ultimate goal, there are a few benchmarks she wants the Lions to reach before the postseason begins:

• Win the Byron Tournament on April 23;

• Win the I-8 conference championship;

• Win their own invitational tournament May 13-14, a tourney that precedes the regionals.

“There’s a lot of work to be done before we’re even talking about that,” said Pomatto, referring to state. “It’s one game at a time. We just can’t get too ahead of ourselves.”

On the diamond, pitching and defense wins championships. The Lions possess a formidable pitching tandem with Houda and junior Melanie Early, who currently leads the team in hitting with a .560 average. Last season, Houda went 15-6 while Early, who verbally committed to Judson University, posted a 1.25 ERA.

Houda, a Wisconsin-Whitewater signee, is already 5-0. One of her victories was the 12-1 triumph over Coal City in which she fanned 15 batters. Opponents have an on-base percentage of just .182 so far this season.

“Bekka has thrown more than Melaine” so far this year, Pomatto noted. “Last year we switched them off every game. Now we’re looking to see what our needs are, defensively and offensively for that game, and who we’re playing.”

Even though the Lions are fielding at a .928 clip so far, Pomatto wants to see that percentage go up and her fielders keep on their toes.

“Bekka’s been able to shut down people, and people (opposing hitters) aren’t putting the ball in play,” Pomatto said, “but we have to be ready when people do. I talk to the girls a lot about making sure they’re moving on every pitch and staying focused because it can get pretty boring out there with that many strikeouts and not many people getting on base.”

Offensively, there’s not an easy out in the Lions’ lineup. Early, who hits third in the order, is followed by Buchelt, a Valpo recruit who leads the club with 12 RBIs and is hitting .448. Setting the table is freshman leadoff hitter Summer Stitt, who’s batting .478.

“We still have a large group of juniors on this team,” Pomatto said. “We talk about being young, but young in softball doesn’t really translate with high school because they’ve played so much in the summer. You could have a freshman on the varsity, and while she’s young, age-wise, experience-wise they are far above than some other sports.”

That describes Stitt to a tee.

“Adding Summer Stitt as a freshman into our lineup, there’s a prime example of a girl who’s played a lot of games, more than the average freshman,” Pomatto said. “She has come in and hit well and has fielded well for us.”

Catcher Grace Riley and designated player Stephanie Loconsole are both hitting over .400.

“Grace Riley has done a phenomenal job behind the plate calling pitches and she’s got a great throwing arm.” Pomatto said. “She’s been hitting really well.”

Second baseman Shelby Kretman, first baseman Stephanie Petkovsek, and outfielders Tori Harris and Maggie Corrigan also see a steady amount of playing time for the Lions.