By Bobby Narang
The Illinois High School 2022-2023 sports season reached the finish line following last weekend’s wild assortment of championships.
- In baseball, the Class 3A and 4A concluded with Nazareth winning its second straight State championship by defeating upstart Grayslake Central 7-2 in the championship game. The Roadrunners (34-6) closed out the season with nine wins in a row to hand coach Lee Milano his second career championship in a long career that’s closing in on 600 victories.
The Roadrunners completed a dominant playoff run by yielding just five runs in their seven playoff games. They opened the season with 18 straight victories.
“We never worried about other people’s expectations,” Milano said. “At the end of the year, our hope was to be out here on the second Saturday in June playing for the State title. It worked out.”
In the largest-school division, Class 4A, Edwardsville posted a 6-4 victory over Brother Rice of Chicago to close out the baseball season at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
Sycamore took third place in 3A with a 2-1 victory against Effingham and one week earlier, Joliet Catholic Academy captured the 2A championship with a 4-2 victory against Columbia.
- In softball, Lemont rode a dominant pitching performance from University of South Carolina recruit Sage Mardjetko to win an epic 1-0 decision over Antioch in the 3A championship game. Similar to Nazareth’s baseball team, Lemont claimed its second State championship in a row.
In a match-up of teams with identical 34-1 records entering the championship game, Lemont scored the walk-off run on senior infielder Nicole Pontrelli’s bunt in the 12th inning to end a pitcher’s duel at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
Lemont (35-1) rode the strong arm of ace Mardjetko, who tossed a 12-inning no-hitter to cap an illustrious career. She struck out 24 batters, while Antioch junior pitcher Jacey Schuler, a Michigan State recruit, fanned 10.
Throwing a no-hitter in a State championship game was nothing new for Mardjetko, who accomplished the feat last season in Peoria.
“It’s pretty insane to throw a no-hitter in a championship game,” Mardjetko said. “To do it again, I don’t know what to call it. I’m so happy for Lemont, this team, this program. To go out with this team, it’s awesome.”
The 4A championship game wasn’t filled with drama, just Chicago Marist doing what it does best all season, scoring runs and hitting home runs. Marist crushed Yorkville, 9-1, in the championship game to win its second title in three seasons.
Yorkville (36-3) reached the championship game in its first State appearance by scoring a run in the top of the first inning against Marist on a wild pitch. Yorkville pitcher Madi Reeves, a Miami-Ohio recruit, suffered the loss in championship game, despite tossing 13 innings in the semifinal victory against Oak Park-River Forest.