4A Softball: Larsen's 3-Run Homer Keeps Minooka Title Hopes Alive

One down, one to go.

With one mighty swing of the bat, junior center fielder Jordyn Larsen inched the Minooka High School softball one step closer to the Class 4A state championship.

Larsen connected for a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning in Minooka's 6-3 victory over Elmhurst York in a semifinal game Friday night at EastSide Centre in East Peoria.

The win powered the Indians (22-8) into a 5:30 p.m. game Saturday vs. St. Charles East, the state title hanging in the balance. St. Charles East (33-5) earlier used a two-run seventh-inning double from Olivia Lorenzini to rally past Barrington 3-2.

Larsen delivered the big blow for Minooka after Mikayla Melone walked and Kelli Holstine singled. Rachel May doubled and Marissa Burns added an RBI single in a four-run sixth-inning uprising that enabled the Indians to overturn a 3-2 deficit.

York (23-15) scored two runs in the bottom of the first and one in the bottom of the second to move ahead in the early going, taking advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding by the Indians.

Minooka pitcher Jackie Lilek exited after working two innings. She was roughed up for three runs—one earned—on four hits. Sara Novak was lights out in relief. Novak scattered two hits over five scoreless innings and struck out nine.

Kelsey Smith went 1-for-3 for the Indians, including a homer, and drove in two runs. Burns, Holstine and Larsen each finished with two hits. Rachel May doubled and scored one run.