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Sports

Raiders State-Bound After 3-0 Victory

Jen Wittenberg and Danielle Chitkowski come through in the clutch offensively, and Jess Wilkes pitches a three-hitter as Glenbard South stops Elmwood Park in the Judson University supersectional to go downstate.

Third time’s a charm.

Senior shortstop Jen Wittenberg, the only member of Glenbard South’s softball team who was part of the Raiders’ state-qualifying teams in 2008 and 2009, is banking that the old saying will hold true for her and the team this weekend.

Glenbard South punched its ticket to the Class 3A state tournament in East Peoria on Friday with Monday's 3-0 victory in the Judson University supersectional over Elmwood Park—marking the third time in four years that the Raiders have gone downstate.

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Wittenberg certainly did her part to put the Raiders in the state tourney. Her clutch base hit in the bottom of the sixth enabled leadoff hitter Brianna Meath (who reached base on a walk) to race home from second with a much-needed insurance run heading into the seventh.

Wittenberg’s RBI single put the Raiders up 2-0.

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“It felt pretty good,” she said. “I haven’t been in too many situations where I needed to get a game-winning hit. Going into the bottom of a last inning it puts more pressure on you if you only have one run.”

Senior ace Jess Wilkes welcomed that run, as well as an additional run scored by center fielder Hannah Davey.

Davey, who singled after Meath’s walk, scooted to third base on a bloop single to center by Danielle Chitkowski. Davey then raced home when Elmwood Park’s center fielder threw to second in an attempt to get Wittenberg, who had rounded the base.

“It (the runs) took a lot of stress off me,” Wilkes said. “It was like a weight came off when we got a few more runs. It was really nice.”

“That was definitely a huge safety net for us,” said Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda of the two runs. “It took the pressure off of Jess in case she gave up a hit (in the last inning). Obviously our defense is playing great, but to get those extra two runs, it’s huge. It kind of takes the weight off your shoulders when you go back out there on defense.”

Wilkes gave up just three hits during the hot, humid late afternoon matchup, and pitched out of a couple of jams along the way. Elmwood Park had runners on first and second in the second inning, but Wilkes got her counterpart on the mound, Katelyn Jakobsen, to fly out to Davey to end the inning.

In the fourth, Wilkes worked through a one-out, runners on second and third situation.

Fonda said Wilkes, an Eastern Michigan signee, rises to the occasion when opposing hitters are on base.

“She gets stronger with runners in scoring position,” Fonda said. “You want your pitcher to, of course, keep them off the bases, but if she gives up a walk I don’t get nervous because she bears down and she goes to work. That’s a trait of hers that’s going to take her a long way, hopefully (through) this weekend and next year at Eastern Michigan.”

Wilkes agrees, saying that she gets “a little more focused” when batters reach base.

“I know that I have to bear down that much more,” she said. “I have to do everything I can to keep them (baserunners) where they are and not let them score. I worked through the heat. I know it was difficult but I knew I could do it.”

Wittenberg was 2-for-3 for the Raiders, while Sophomore Jane Trzaska had Glenbard South’s only extra-base hit—a double to lead off the second inning.

Next up: LaSalle-Peru

Glenbard South (28-5) will meet a LaSalle-Peru club at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the EastSide Centre that’s on a roll.

The Cavaliers (24-6), who won their first sectional softball title in school history last Saturday, surprised the state’s top-ranked 3A team, Oak Forest, 1-0 at the Illinois State University supersectional on Monday.

Given that Wilkes (20-3) and L-P junior Ashley Smith are both coming off shutouts, Friday’s game could shape up to be a pitcher’s duel par excellence. Smith (19-5) and Wilkes each had two strikeouts Monday; Smith surrendered four hits to Wilkes’ three.

However, the Raiders have an intangible going for them that L-P does not: state experience. Wittenberg, Wilkes, Chitkowski, Meath and senior catcher Jackie Wrona were part of the Raiders’ 2009 state team that finished fourth (the 2008 squad took third).

“A lot of things have got to go your way to get there (to state), and a lot of things went our way,” Fonda said. “Hopefully we can ride the lucky streak.

“Right off the bat we’ve got to be on our game, so we’ll turn our focus to taking care of (some) unfinished business. They want it. They are definitely focused on not just getting there but winning it.”

And that’s Wilkes’ mindset as the Raiders prepare to play in East Peoria.

“I want it and I know we can all get it,” she said. “Everyone on our team is a state champion and I know we’re going to get it.

“To me it’s everything I ever work for. I work out with my Dad every day seven days a week, with my brothers, with my whole family. I have so much support that I want to do it (win the state title) for everyone else. I want to do it for me, but I want to do it for my Mom, my Dad and my brothers.”

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