Both will be trying for IHSA State Softball titles this weekend in East Peoria. The State Final games will take place at EastSide Centre's Mizuno Field.
Milledgeville and St. Bede punched their tickets to the 38th edition of the state series with supersectional wins on Monday. Both supersectional games took place after one another at Mary M. Bell Field on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
Milledgeville (26-3) advanced to the Class 1A State Finals for the second year in a row, downing Putnam County 4-1. Since a 13-0 loss to Dakota on April 9, the Lady Missiles have won all of their games and have only given up more than three runs in a game just once: in a 10-6 10-inning tilt against Orangeville in the sectional final.
The Lady Missiles are coached by Brad Grenoble, who is in his first year in that capacity after Sarah Spears resigned after last season. Grenoble's name may be familiar to the area sports scene elsewhere, as he is the owner and general manager of the Sauk Valley Predators professional basketball club.
In the quest to improve upon last year's third-place finish, the Lady Missiles will be taking on Glasford Illini Bluffs (an 8-1 winner over Gardner-South Wilmington also on Monday) at 12:30 p.m. Friday. Goreville has also advanced to the 1A finals, and two more teams (Hardin Calhoun and Toledo Cumberland) will be playing today to earn the fourth and final berth.
The Lady Bruins, coached by Bill Prokup, are on an eight-game winning streak, and three of the five losses have come on a summer trip to Murphysboro, Tenn.
Awaiting the Lady Bruins in its first State game at 3 p.m. Friday is one of either three teams. Sherrard, Tremont and Williamsville will be playing today to determine the final berth. Sherrard and Tremont will face each other at EastSide in a sectional championship game, with the winner immediately playing Williamsville in the supersectional game. Nashville and Kankakee MacNamara are playing in the other 2A semifinal at 5:30 p.m.
(Northern Illinois Sports Beat will be at EastSide this weekend covering both St. Bede and Milledgeville's time at State. Check back here for game stories and more.)
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Two area baseball teams made it past the sectional round, only to have their seasons eliminated in supersectional play.
In 1A, River Ridge saw its season end at the hands of Putnam County 6-4 at the Benedictine University Supersectional in Lisle. In 2A, Oregon saw its season end by Eureka 7-6 at the Augustana College Supersectional in Moline.
Both Oregon (Big Northern West) and River Ridge (NUIC West) finished conference seasons below the .500 mark.
