PR’s Turner wins 30th game of season

Prairie Ridge's Erika Trojan (left) wraps her arms around pitcher Johanna Turner after the Wolves' 5-3 Class 4A Woodstock Sectional semifinal victory against South Elgin at Bates Park in Woodstock. (Travis Haughton - thaughton@nwherald.com)

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WOODSTOCK – As soon as the softball was securely inside first baseman Erin Smith’s glove for the final out of the game, Prairie Ridge’s Johanna Turner leaned back, took a deep breath and grinned as her teammates ran to her side.

The IHSA Class 4A Woodstock Sectional semifinal game against South Elgin on Wednesday was a lot of work.

But Turner battled, never allowing panic to overpower her changeup. When she put the finishing touches on a 5-3 Prairie Ridge victory, the relief was palpable.

“That was amazing,” said Turner, who picked up her 30th win of the season. “I couldn’t believe it was finally over.”

The win put Prairie Ridge
(32-6) into the sectional championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday against the winner of today’s game between Huntley and Hononegah.

“We brought our ‘A’ game today, and we wanted it,” Turner (30-4) said.

Especially after a difficult battle.

Prairie Ridge took a five-run lead into the bottom of the sixth before South Elgin (23-13) found its offense. Caitlin Stredde and Kimberly Pierce each singled, and Lauren Vitiello launched an opposite-field three-run homer with no outs over the left field fence to help the Storm creep within two, 5-3.

Turner allowed Courtney Bosteder a single, too, with no outs before settling down. She induced a flyout and a groundout from the next two batters and struck out Rae Bosteder to leave Courtney Bosteder stranded.

“All the credit in the world goes to Turner,” Wolves coach Mike Buck said. “To give up that home run like that and then go out and do what she needed to do without breaking [was] impressive. She stood up there, toed up and came right at them.”

Vitiello also was the final batter Turner had to face in the seventh. With two on and two outs, Turner tossed one ball outside and then a changeup to get Vitiello to ground out.

The Wolves’ offensive onslaught came in the top of the sixth. Anna Patras led off with a double and scored off a fielding error that allowed Smith to reach, giving the Wolves a 1-0 advantage.

Katie Schillinger reached on an error that drove in Lauren Seegers, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, and Danielle Samuels’ on a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with one out. Angie Rinn’s single then drove in Smith and Schillinger, while Samuels scored on another Storm error.

“If felt really good to come out and do this,” Rinn said. “After losing to South Elgin (in an April double header), we wanted to come here and do well. Winning was amazing.”