Story corrects to state CHS softball has won 4 regional titles in 5 years, not 4 in a row.

By Mike Monahan

CENTRALIA – Erin Blair’s heads-up play on a wild pitch in the sixth inning may have been the difference Friday night.

With runners on second and third bases, the Trojans senior catcher retrieved a pitch that had bounced in the dirt, ricocheting past her to the fence. Blair then lunged back toward the plate where she tagged out the Effingham runner, preserving a 4-2 lead and preventing a third run and potential late-game rally.

Charleston, subsequently, did not allow another run to capture the Class 3A regional championship with a 5-2 victory. It is the program’s seventh regional title.

“A lot of times, the catcher is trained in their mind to toss that ball. You get the ball and you toss it,” said Charleston coach Blain Mayhall. “She probably realized it is a short porch back there and that was the right play all day long. But for her to have that moment in her head because, you either have to do it, or you don’t, and she did. That was a huge, huge play because who knows what happens after that. That is a run and then they have people in scoring position.”

This is Charleston’s fourth IHSA regional title across the past five years, taking away the season canceled due to COVID-19.

Charleston (25-5) advances to play host Highland, a 12-9 winner over Bethalto Civic Memorial, at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Class 3A sectional semifinals. Highland (24-7-1) is ranked No. 29 in the state, according to the Illinois Softball Girls Coaches Association Rankings. CHS is ranked No, 14.

Addison Shrader, a junior, had thrown just 28 innings this year – yet, she got the call to start Friday. Shrader threw 127 pitches, 74 for strikes and allowed five hits and two runs, one earned, with four walks and seven strikeouts for the win.

“The drop curve was killing it the entire game. They could not touch it. I think it is because it is one of my faster pitches and it is moving a lot. I was struggling towards the end of the game, but when that pitch is spinning they are not going to get solid contact off of it, especially when they are not swinging to where it is going to be. They are swinging where it was.”

“I don’t think anybody on the other dugout or fans on that side expected Addison to be in this game,” said Mayhall, who is 233-82 in his 10th season. “She has not thrown that much this year and Kara (Moore) has  been our workhorse for three years. They have seen Kara quite a few innings this year and they saw her last year. We thought we would try something and Kara was on board with it. The team was on board with it. The team backed up Addison, and we know what kind of stuff she has. That is hard to do when you don’t get a lot of innings this year and we say, ‘Hey, regional championship is yours.’ She is a gamer and I know that. She has always been a gamer since she was little. So, I am extremely proud of her and the defense behind her today. “

Shrader said she was nervous when Mayhall told her about the big start.

“When coach told me I was going to start I thought I was going to puke,” said Shrader. “He told me on Wednesday during practice. It means so much to me and I didn’t want to mess up the game for them. They were behind my back. It was awesome. As soon as I threw the first pitch, the nerves were gone and it just felt good. 

Charleston’s Blair Ritchey put the Trojans ahead to stay with a two-run homer over a tall fence in left field for a 2-1 advantage in the third. Freshman Avery Beals drove in the third run of the inning on a single. 

Erin Blair also drilled a homer after falling behind in the count 1-2 to make it 3-1 in the second inning.

“We got ahead of Erin Blair and tried to get inside and she fought it off for a nice hit down the left field line,” said Effingham coach Jerry Trigg. “After getting the two quick outs we thought we had the momentum and they took it right back with the home run.”

“She (Blair) has really come through in big moments this year,” Mayhall said. “She struggled her freshman year. We kind of stuck with her and gave her chances, and she has produced offensively this year. She has stepped up a lot for us. That was a big home run and it was good to see her excitement on that.”

Effingham, who split with Charleston during the regular season – winning 15-0 and losing 9-8 – made it a one-run game in the third with two outs when Sidney Donaldson hit a solo home run. The Hearts left six runners on base, five in scoring position in the game. 

“We had some opportunities and we just could not get the hit at the right time,” said Trigg. “Really all year long we have been able to do that, but Shrader was pretty sharp today. She was up and down and all around the strike zone and we just couldn’t get anything going against her. She pitched a really good game. We had not seen her. I don’t think she had anything that we had not seen all year, but today, she moved it around well and kept us off balance. She made some big pitches, and they made some big plays behind her.”

The Trojans scored one more in the fifth inning to make it 4-2 after Beals drew a base on balls, stole second and scored on a single by Moore for her team-leading 62nd RBI of the season. 

Shrader scored the final run of the game after singling up the middle, stealing second and going to third on a ground out before scoring on an error. 

Said Blair: “We have worked really hard this season.”

Moore and Kaylin Wilson had two hits apiece for Charleston, while nearly every player had a hit. Moore and Ritchey drove in two runs each for the Trojans who had 10 hits. 

“We have gone through some rough moments this year: non-softball stuff,” said Mayhall. “For them to bounce back on, that is huge. We challenged them to come together as a unit. For the seniors, it is their last go around. You always remember these things. When you are in high school and you have these memories and you have a chance to do something that they can talk about when they go to each other’s weddings and things like that  later on in life. That is kind of what I have been stressing to them: enjoy it while you can. I think kids nowadays try and grow up too fast. They need to enjoy these things and that is kind of what we talked about. “

RHE
Effingham0110000 – 251
Charleston030101x – 5102

Winning pitcher: Addison Shrader (5-0) 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts

CHARLESTON: Shrader 1-for-3, run, stolen base; Avery Beals 1-for-3, run, stolen base, RBI; Karah Moore 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Kailyn Wilson 2-for-4; Erin Blair 1-for-3,; Blair Ritchey 1-for-2, run, home run, 2 RBIs; Maci Mayhall 1-for-3, run; Brie Tomlinson 1-for-3; Kailee Gough run

Losing pitcher: Natalie Armstrong (14-6)  3 ⅓ innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Relife: Saige Althoff 2 ⅔ innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

EFFINGHAM: Reagan Boone 1-for-4, stolen base; Sidney Donaldson 1-for-4, home run, run, RBI; Abby Cunningham 1-for-2, run; Mya Harvey 1-for-1, double; Jennifer Jamison 1-for-3; Althoff stolen base