Lincoln-Way West faced a challenging defeat against Lincoln-Way Central, losing 5-0 in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Sectional Semifinal on Tuesday evening at Lockport High School.
According to Warriors junior pitcher Abby Brueggmann, she battled through six tough innings, holding Central to a single run through the first four frames. "We were confident after our win against Andrew," Brueggmann said. "It was do or die. I just wanted to win."
Brueggmann and her teammates maintained strong defensive play early in the game, but timely hits by the Knights widened the score gap. A two-RBI double in the fifth inning and a two-run homer in the sixth contributed significantly to Central's victory.
Central's ace pitcher Lisabella Dimitrijevic, who is committed to Florida State University, pitched a shutout. "We faced this team four times this year," Dimitrijevic said. "I just tried to pitch to their weaknesses."
Despite the setback, Lincoln-Way West continued to show resilience. Senior outfielder Carly Karales made an impressive catch in the seventh inning that momentarily energized her team. "I told myself I needed to catch that ball," Karales said. "It was important."
Head coach Heather Novak expressed pride in her team's effort: "I’m proud of our girls. They fought every pitch. We’ll be back next year stronger."