Mahomet-Seymour softball wins Class 2A Regional Championship win Rantoul shutout

By Fred Kroner

The difference in the Rantoul and Mahomet-Seymour softball teams was illustrated early and often on Saturday (May 27) as the third-seeded Bulldogs won a repeat Class 2A regional championship with a 10-0 decision over the visiting second-seeded Eagles.

The first two Bulldogs who stepped into the batter’s box in the top of the first inning, Kenadi Granadino and Madisyn White, drew walks.

They scored the game’s first two runs on a single by Rio Casillas.

For the game, M-S batters drew nine walks (three by Kayla McKinney all three times she batted) while Bulldog pitcher Ava Henderson did not issue a walk.

In 24 appearances this year, Henderson has issued no more than one walk in 12 of her outings.

“She kept getting the first pitch over for a strike,” M-S coach James Heinold said. “She did a good job of getting ahead of the batters, keeping them off-balance and keeping her pitch-count down.”

She allowed two hits, both singles.

The shutout for Henderson was her second of the season.

After scoring twice in the opening inning and adding three more runs in the second inning, the Bulldogs’ defense helped to keep Rantoul off the scoreboard.

`”A big thing was which pitcher was doing her best to allow the defense to help her out,” Heinold said. “The defense was behind Ava.

“We had some good plays, including one for an out at the plate to end an inning (the third). It was a key play from our centerfielder (Sydney Ward) to the cutoff (shortstop Madeleine Cortez to the catcher (Casillas) for an out.

“White got a great jump on a short line drive (to left field) and Cortez made a good play on a ball up the middle.”

Several of the key players this spring are returning starters from last year’s state-placing team, including Casillas, Cortez, Granadino, Jenna Wade, Ward and White.

“It helped to have the veterans coming back,” Heinold said. “They’ve worked hard to get here. I told them, ‘Let’s keep the ball rolling and the enthusiasm up.’”

The Bulldogs were limited to five hits in the game, but had no shortage of baserunners thanks to the free passes.

“I knew we’d need timely hits,” Heinold said, “but I’m a little surprised to do it with five hits. The hit by Rio opened things up in the first inning.”

Granadino swatted two hits. Other Bulldog hits were by Henderson and Madelyn Logsdon.

Granadino and McKinney each tallied three runs. White scored twice.

M-S (13-18) returns to action in the sectional semifinals on Tuesday (May 30) at 4:30 p.m. at Chatham Glenwood against the host school. Glenwood has a 28-1-1 season record.

The same two schools played last year in the sectional finals and the Bulldogs won on a walk-off squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“I’m excited with how our girls have stepped up and have taken control of how they’re playing in the postseason,” Heinold said. “They’ve come out strong the last couple weeks.”

The back-to-back regional titles mark just the second time in school history that the softball program has captured consecutive postseason championships. The first time was in 2013 and 2014.