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Seneca softball looking to take two more steps on their journey · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Seneca softball looking to take two more steps on their journey.
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  Written by Brian Hawxy, this article is being read by
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  an automated voice brought to you by Everlett. The past
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  two seasons saw the Seneca softball team fall in a
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  class to a sectional final, both times in one run
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  games to beacher, but with ada starters back, including their
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  top two pitchers, this season had all the earmarks of
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  being the one the Fighting Irish would take the next step.
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  They did that and are still stepping. Seneca, coming off
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  the program's first sectional title, a one run win over
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  the Bobcats, defeated Brimfield on Monday in the East Peoria
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  Supersectional to punch the program's ticket to the ISA State
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  Semifinals at two thirty pm on Thursday against Ice Catholic
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  Prep at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. If
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  this year has just all come together, Seneca coach Brian
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  Holman said, his squad currently thirty eight two on the season.
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  Early in the season, we didn't really talk about long
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  term goals. In fact, we weren't even going to talk
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  about the postseason until we got to it. It's cliche,
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  but we really did just focus on the game in
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  front of us and still are as disappointing as the
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  last couple of years were. It has definitely helped us
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  this year as far as understanding how to handle the
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  building pressure as you move on throughout the postseasons, and
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  also what it truly takes to keep moving on. We've
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  done a great job of staying who we are. Seneca
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  will enter Thursday's game with seven players hitting over point
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  four zero zero on the season, including Hayden Pfeiffer Low
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  four hundred and ninety one thirteen hours fifty five RBI,
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  Grayson Provence Low four hundred and eighty five six triples,
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  twenty seven RBI, em Amino point four to sixty five,
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  five hours fifty eight RBI, Cameron Stekin point four three
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  eight seven hours fifty RBI, Tessa Cruel point four three
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  four eleven hours forty five RBI, Amalia Weber THELL four
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  hundred and twenty two two hours thirty two RBI, and
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  Lexibuis the All four hundred and fifteen five hours forty
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  nine RBI. The Fighting Irish also have a fierce one
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  to two punch in the circle of Peifer twenty one
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  zero zero point nine four ERA one hundred nineteen IP
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  sixty one H twenty one BB two hundred and twenty
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  nine K and Krull seventeen to two one point five seven,
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  ERA ninety eight, IP fifty eight H twenty eight BB
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  one hundred and seventy K. Pfeiffer has led the way
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  in the postseason, tossing twenty nine innings, allowing nineteen hits
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  with just two walks and fifty five strikeouts. These next
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  two games are going to be difficult with the level
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  of play that's going to be there, but we've talked
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  all season about keeping things simple. Holman said, we just
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  have to do all of the same things that we've
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  done to get to this point, and if we do that,
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  I feel we'll be in great shape. After looking at
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  the ISSA website and seeing the records, the stats, and
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  the traditions for the two teams in the final four,
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  nobody just snuck their way through. Everyone us had to
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  truly earn the right to be there. It's pretty cool
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  company to be in. I see Catholic Prep thirty five,
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  which lost in a super sectional in twenty twenty five,
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  has outscored opponents twenty seven zero in four postseason games,
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  including a one zero victory in eight innings over Stillman
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  Valley in Monday's Benedictine University super Sectional. The Knights have
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  been led at the plate this season by Sophia Buccaro
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  Low five hundred and thirty six one hour twenty two RBI,
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  Kelly Cahill Low five hundred and ten four hours fifty six, RBI,
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  Lexi Russ Low four hundred and seventy three, four hours
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  fifty three, RBI, Ariani Zito point four five seven, one
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  hour sixteen RBI, Maddy Dinino point four three eight, two
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  hours thirty three RBI, and Sophia Dude's point four one
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  eight nineteen RBI Dinino sixteen two two point five nine
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  ERA one hundred and thirty five IP one hundred nineteen
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  eighth thirty one BIS one hundred and seven k A
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  Senior is the ace of the pitching staff. IC Catholic
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  plays good, hard soft ball, Holman said. A stat not
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  on the ISA website is the fact they have a
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  couple of girls with over fifty stolen bases. They have
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  team speed and are very aggressive on the base paths.
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  They have the lineup you want to have speed at
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  the top and girls that can really drive the ball
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  to follow. Denny isn't super overpowering, but does a great
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  job of mixing things up, moves the ball around and
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  just keeps batters off balance. The key for us will
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  be what we preach. Stay relaxed in the box, be patient,
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  and then put the bat on the ball. If Monday's
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  game against Brimfield is any indication, the stands at Louisville
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  Slugger Sports Complex on Thursday will be filled to the
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  brim with those wearing green and gold and cheering for
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  the Irish. There were so many people here supporting us Monday,
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  it was unbelievable, said cruel. You could feel their energy,
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  to be honest, it was exciting but also calming to
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  know they were there for us. I can't wait to
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  see what state looks like. It's going to be crazy,
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  for sure.