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Lady Bee Bees take fourth at state softball
The Williamsville Junior High softball team saw its bats go cold in its final two games, as the Lady Bee Bees
took fourth place at the IESA Class AA state tournament at Champion Fields in Normal.
In the third place game, WJH managed only two hits in a 1-0 loss to Edwardsville Liberty.
The game was played Monday, immediately following WJH’s 3-0 semifinal loss to Wenona Fieldcrest in a
game started Saturday.
Jordan French and Julia O’Conner had the hits.
WJH left the bags jammed in the first inning but did not score, then Liberty scored in the fourth.
Brandi Donnelly gave up seven hits and fanned six in the tough-luck loss.
“We just didn’t get the big hit to drive in any runs,” said coach Jess Buttry. “We stranded at least 7 or 8 runners,
so we were getting on base.
“Defensively, I thought we played well,” he added.
In the Fieldcrest contest, Donnelly and Clair Stoecker had the only two hits.
The Lady Bee Bees made three errors, and Donnelly yielded three walks and six hits while fanning nine.
“We just made too many mistakes against a good team,” said Buttry. “When you are facing a team with an
outstanding pitcher (Taylor Tjaden struck out 44 in three games), you really have to play well defensively, and we
didn’t do that.”
Friday, after waiting for several hours because of rain delays, the Lady Bees scored two runs in the first and
second to take control in a 6-1 win over Metamora.
Donnelly (two runs) had three hits, and Caleigh Franklin (run, RBI), Stoecker (two runs, RBI) and Morgan
Higginbotham (RBI) all had two hits.
Stoecker tripled in Donnelly, who doubled, in the first, then Franklin singled in Stoecker.
Lindsay Pearson was safe on an error in the second, then scored on Donnelly’s triple. She scored on an error that
allowed French to reach.
Franklin singled and later scored on a passed ball in the third, and in the seventh, Stoecker singled, stole
second and scored on Higginbotham’s hit.
Donnelly yielded only two hits and no walks while striking out eight. She gave up a leadoff single in the first,
then retired 17 batters in a row; she lost the shutout in the seventh.
“We came out and really played well,” Buttry said. “I thought we controlled the game from the start.”
The Lady Bee Bees finished with a 23-8 record.
“Overall, I am very proud of this team and their accomplishments this season,” Buttry concluded.
The Williamsville Junior High softball team saw its bats go cold in its final two games, as the Lady Bee Bees
took fourth place at the IESA Class AA state tournament at Champion Fields in Normal.
In the third place game, WJH managed only two hits in a 1-0 loss to Edwardsville Liberty.
The game was played Monday, immediately following WJH’s 3-0 semifinal loss to Wenona Fieldcrest in a
game started Saturday.
Jordan French and Julia O’Conner had the hits.
WJH left the bags jammed in the first inning but did not score, then Liberty scored in the fourth.
Brandi Donnelly gave up seven hits and fanned six in the tough-luck loss.
“We just didn’t get the big hit to drive in any runs,” said coach Jess Buttry. “We stranded at least 7 or 8 runners,
so we were getting on base.
“Defensively, I thought we played well,” he added.
In the Fieldcrest contest, Donnelly and Clair Stoecker had the only two hits.
The Lady Bee Bees made three errors, and Donnelly yielded three walks and six hits while fanning nine.
“We just made too many mistakes against a good team,” said Buttry. “When you are facing a team with an
outstanding pitcher (Taylor Tjaden struck out 44 in three games), you really have to play well defensively, and we
didn’t do that.”
Friday, after waiting for several hours because of rain delays, the Lady Bees scored two runs in the first and
second to take control in a 6-1 win over Metamora.
Donnelly (two runs) had three hits, and Caleigh Franklin (run, RBI), Stoecker (two runs, RBI) and Morgan
Higginbotham (RBI) all had two hits.
Stoecker tripled in Donnelly, who doubled, in the first, then Franklin singled in Stoecker.
Lindsay Pearson was safe on an error in the second, then scored on Donnelly’s triple. She scored on an error that
allowed French to reach.
Franklin singled and later scored on a passed ball in the third, and in the seventh, Stoecker singled, stole
second and scored on Higginbotham’s hit.
Donnelly yielded only two hits and no walks while striking out eight. She gave up a leadoff single in the first,
then retired 17 batters in a row; she lost the shutout in the seventh.
“We came out and really played well,” Buttry said. “I thought we controlled the game from the start.”
The Lady Bee Bees finished with a 23-8 record.
“Overall, I am very proud of this team and their accomplishments this season,” Buttry concluded.
Issue Date: Oct. 1, 2009