By Randy Whalen
Correspondent
The final game was in doubt until the late innings but, in the end, Marist came up short in its bid for a repeat state championship.
St. Charles North (25-6) broke open a tied game by scoring five times with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, capturing the IHSA Class 4A title with a 7-2 victory on June 8 at Louisville Sports Complex in Peoria.
The RedHawks were making their fourth straight Class 4A state title game appearance and fifth trip in a row to the state finals. The state title game in 2022 involved the same two programs, and the outcome has been the same both times.
The North Stars had clinched their spot in the championship game with a 2-1 walk-off win over Oswego in the semifinals.
Only two seniors — Camryn Lyons and Caroline O’Brien — graduate from this season’s state runner-up RedHawks.
“We have a very young team,” Marist coach Colleen Phelan said. “The seniors did a great job of taking the girls under their wings and teaching them Marist softball.”
Breanna Hanik, a junior center fielder, had two hits in the title game and scored the RedHawks first run in the top of the first.
“I’m definitely disappointed but I couldn’t be more proud of the team,” Hanik said. “We will miss Camryn and Caroline. But the freshmen have made great progress, and we look forward to next year.”
With the game tied at 2, Hanik made a diving catch for the second out in the bottom of the sixth. That was the 12th straight batter retired by Gianna Hillegonds (24-2), but the junior right-hander followed that by issuing a two-out walk that led to a five-run North rally.
The state championship is the second in for the North Stars (26-6) over the past three years. They also defeated Marist (36-4) 3-2 in 2022 for the Class 4A title.
Lyons had a first-pitch RBI single in the first. O’Brien led off the top of the third with a single to center, stole second and scored on an RBI double by junior third baseman Gabi Novickas.
Hillegonds went 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits with three walks and nine strikeouts,
Defensively, Lyons, who has committed to playing softball at Boston University, made a couple of sliding catches.
“It was just a reaction to the ball,” Lyons said. “There were a few amazing catches. Both teams were amazing on defense.
“I had faith in us the whole game, I believed in us,” she continued. “We could have come back, and sometimes you fall short. I’m so proud of everyone on the team. Everyone contributed. We are so close. I’m just proud of these girls.”
Phelan had faith in her seniors.
“She was calm, cool and collected all the time,” Phelan said of Lyons. “She led by example. She led vocally. She has been consistent for our lineup for the last couple of years.
“We could count on her to come through at any point. And the way she played defense this season has been unbelievable.”
O’Brien, who has committed to Notre Dame, started in three straight state championship games. She played center field as a sophomore, catcher as a junior and at shortstop as a senior.
“Caroline was an absolute true utility player,” Phelan said. “She was our sparkplug at the top of the lineup the past couple of years. Speed, power — you name it and she has it all. She was a truly special player that’ll go down in Marist history as one of the best to play.”
It was all in a day’s work for O’Brien.
“It’s all been fun,” O’Brien said. “The reason I could do it was because I could trust my teammates and coach trusted me. When you have trust in everyone around you, I truly believe you can do everything.”
With four freshmen (Mary Fortner, Lexi Kyros, Layla Peters, Soleil Tate) and a sophomore (Jacklyn Pigatto) starting on this season’s state runner-up team, the RedHawks will look to make another deep postseason run in 2025.
“Having four freshmen is really scary for the team,” O’Brien said of the future. “They really trusted in us, trusted me and Cam and trusted in themselves. Their future is really bright.
“I can’t wait to come back and watch them succeed.”