AURORA – When the University and Eaton softball teams last played roughly three weeks ago, it was Emma Zacheis whose aggressive baserunning led the Bulldogs to an extra-innings victory.
Saturday, University only needed seven frames, but it was once again Zacheis’ speed on the basepaths — plus her effort in the field — that helped the Bulldogs win the Class 3A state championship 5-4 at Aurora Sports Park.
Zacheis led off the seventh inning with a slap hit to shortstop where the ball was fielded cleanly, but she beat the throw to first. Sydney Goetzel tattooed a single directly at the center fielder, who once again fielded the ball cleanly, but that didn’t matter to Zacheis, who took third. The easiest part of the whole half-inning for Zacheis came when Jasi Cole lofted a single into right field to kick off the celebrations.
“It’s 100 times more impactful,” Zacheis said of her game-winning run this time around. “I’m 100 times more grateful that I got this opportunity to perform and do well for my team.”
Zacheis cut short Eaton’s rally in the top of the seventh as well, diving onto the dirt in shallow foul territory in right field to strand two Eaton runners. It was the turning point the Bulldogs needed after the Reds seized momentum in the middle innings.
“That’s the type of player she is,” University coach Chris Hutton said of Zacheis. “She’s clutch.”
It was Eaton who struck first in the scoring when Johanna Galvan turned on a pitch in the first inning and sent it over the fence in left for a two-run home run.
In the bottom of the third, University got back on top thanks to a trio of Eaton errors. Kenzie Wyatt led off and reached first on a bobbled ball at second base. She immediately stole second and another infield miscue allowed Zacheis to reach safely and push Wyatt to third. Zacheis’ aggressive base-running made its first major appearance here, when Sydney Goetzel doubled into left field and a throwing error allowed the junior to score from first.
Eaton rallied in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Paige Hofer and a two-out single from Rayelle Navarro, retaking the lead 4-3. A fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth tied the game, setting up the heroics from Zacheis and Cole.
“It came down to tough defense and a solid showing at the plate,” Hutton said. “We have 10 players and nine who are hitting solid. Even our gals coming into run, a lot of our courtesy and pinch runners actually scored this game. We hit the ball when we needed to, took advantage of their errors and just played as a team, played as a family.”
Zacheis, Goetzel and Bergen Duarte finished with two hits apiece. In the circle, Goetzel and Cole split the load, with the former going three innings with three strikeouts and the latter throwing four innings with four strikeouts.
The victory caps to a 24-2 season for the top-seeded Bulldogs and gives the program its second state championship, with the most recent coming in 2019.
(Eric Brown/ebrownfoto.com)
