"We were bumming and all, but we came back and played hard in this game for third," center fielder Heather Haney said. "We knew third place wasn’t bad."

She helped the Piasa Birds’ interest in the top of the sixth with the second of two-dazzling catches when she was able to haul in a deep drive to center with an over-the-shoulder running catch.

"We had two fantastic catches in the outfield that saved that game," Southwestern coach Jim Siemer said. "Plays like that you have to have on defense."

Davis made the catches hold up as she was able to retire the Sentinels in the seventh on eight pitches to earn her second win of the weekend. Davis gave up only one unearned run throughout the tournament and was efficient in the last game, allowing only three hits while striking out five.

Boucher also drove in the ’Birds last run in her next at-bat in the fourth. She fouled off five pitches before singling to the right side of the infield to score Trombetta. That was the last hit of the game for Southwestern.

The ’Birds finished the season with a school-record 28 wins. They also claimed the conference, regional, sectional and super-sectional titles.

A parade to congratulate the team and coaches will be held today beginning at 1 p.m. at Shipman Elementary School. The parade will make its way to the high school, where an awards presentation will be made.

In the semifinal game at 10 a.m. facing the Casey-Westfield Warriors, the Illinois High School Association Class A version of the New York Yankees, the ’Birds matched them inning for inning until the seventh. In their last at-bat and down to their final out, the Warriors ended Southwestern’s run to the state title by tallying the only run of the first-semifinal contest on a single by Tasha Wilhoit.

"We played Casey, the premier program in the state almost seven-scoreless innings," Siemer explained. "It proved to our girls that we could play with anybody from state.

The Warriors had advanced to the Elite Eight in 19 of the past 23 years and had won the most games (35) and titles (7) of all IHSA member schools. They lost their bid for an eighth title with a 1-0 loss to St. Joseph-Ogden in the championship game.

The downfall for the ’Birds in the semifinal game was the lack of key hits that were a staple of Southwestern’s offense. The ’Birds marooned three runners in scoring position against Casey’s fireballer, Adrianne Denney.

Trombetta was stranded at second in the second inning after driving a deep double to center. In the next inning Sydney Shelton was left at second after reaching on one of Southwestern’s three hits and then stealing second. And in the fourth, Megan Willard’s journey towards home was halted at second. She had reached after being plunked in the lower leg with a pitch and advancing to scoring position on a sacrifice by Christy Jones.

Casey was also having difficulties driving in runners, as they stranded seven runners on base through the first six frames - with four left at second and one at third. Davis was able to dig herself out of jams in the first, second, fifth and the sixth. In the sixth, with Warriors on first and third, Davis fooled Megan Connelly into chasing a pitch that was down and away on a full-count to end the inning.

But in the seventh, Davis was unable to work around an error and a bunt single that prolonged the inning and set the stage for Casey’s second win in their final at-bat of these playoffs.

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