Historic Softball Season Ends With Sectional Title Loss

After a pair of two-run losses to New Trier during the regular season, Glenbrook South knew it would have to

What the Titans (23-11) didn’t expect was one of their worst performances of the season. Glenbrook South committed four errors and a handful of mental mistakes in an 8-1 loss to New Trier on Saturday afternoon in Winnetka.

“It was disappointing,” Glenbrook South coach Kay Sopocy said. “But it’s a game of errors and we all know that and that’s what happened.”

The trouble started early for Glenbrook South and put the Titans in a hole they couldn’t dig out of.

Already up 1-0, New Trier was threatening in the second inning with runners on first and second and two outs. New Trier’s Mimi Morris hit a soft liner that junior pitcher Jen Zucker couldn’t hang on to, loading the bases. Jackie Stern then hit a slow roller to shortstop , who threw high over the head of first baseman Carrie Watkins, allowing two more runs to score.

“Our defense didn’t play like it always does,” Sopocy said. “I felt like we were prepared both physically and mentally and it just didn’t happen. They outplayed us.”

That’s all the run support New Trier pitcher Brigit Ieuter would need. While she didn’t have overpowering stuff – only four strikeouts on the afternoon – there were only a handful of hard-hit balls from Glenbrook South. Ieuter retired 13 of the last 15 batters she faced.

The Titans got to Ieuter in the third inning thanks a couple of walks and a New Trier error. Alana Strapko walked and went to second on an illegal pitch from Ieuter. Watkins bunted her to over to third and Julia Williams walked to put runners on the corners. Janet Schwartz then laid a bunt down the third base line, and New Trier’s Eileen Hurley threw high at first allowing Strapko to score.

But Glenbrook South couldn’t do any further damage as Stark lined softly to the second baseman and Williams was doubled up off of second to end the threat.

New Trier added two runs in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth to put the game away.

“They have a tough lineup, if we throw the right pitches we can hope to get them out,” Zucker said. “It’s tough and I just try to put the ball on the ground or create an easy popup.”

Despite giving up eight runs to the Trevians, only one of them was earned. Zucker allowed six hits in the game and had five strikeouts.

Even with Saturday’s loss, Glenbrook South had another impressive season, winning the team’s first regional title since 2001 and becoming only the second team in program history to make it to the sectional championship. They finished second in the CSL South to New Trier during the regular season.

Ten seniors will graduate, leaving only three girls – Zucker, sophomore Greer Heinzen and sophomore Alyssa Strapko – returning on the varsity roster.

“All I can say is next year even though I’m going to be missing 10 of the girls on the team right now, me and two other girls on this team, we’re coming back for revenge,” Zucker said.