Arcola softball stuns Salt Fork to reach sweet 16; LeRoy eliminates Lady Riders

By Editor | June 3, 2025 |

By Mike Monahan

OREANA – “Who would have thought,” said Arcola senior Kacie Sisk after the Arcola softball team knocked off No. 12 Salt Fork in the Argenta-Oreana Class 1A Sectional Semifinals May 24, 2-0. In what was the fourth sectional championship (2001 in the two-class system was not in the Sweet 16) and third time reaching the Sweet 16, No. 8 LeRoy proved to be too much as they ended Arcola’s amazing run, 13-2 in five innings.

Arcola 2, Salt Fork 0

Before the game coach Cara Roberts said,”The Sweet 16 on the line now-go get your name on a banner. They did just that.”

The defense shined in this game along with freshman Jacy Brian, who for the second straight game came up with a big hit, a two-out, two run single to left on the first pitch she saw in the seventh.

Salt Fork, who finished 24-6, left eight runners on including half in scoring position, while the Lady Riders left only two, one in scoring position.

Perhaps the biggest defensive play occurred in the fifth with two outs and a runner on first. Brilynn Burnett, the cleanup batter for the Storm, hit a ball that looked like it would be a double. Instead center fielder Jolena King made a fantastic catch.

“I saw it hedging toward the gap in left,” said King, a sophomore. “When you are in the outfield you always want your first step to be back so I immediately stepped back and saw it was going to go long. I turned my body and just sprinted. I realized I was not going to get behind it. I just reached my arm out and reached as far as I could to try and get it. I was surprised that I even caught it myself. I wasn’t expecting to catch it, but I did.”

Maddie Plikington, the shortstop, also made an outstanding play in the third inning she dove for a ground ball, got it and stuck her hand on second base for the force out.

“Our outfield did great on defense,”: said Roberts. It was Jolena (King) first time in the outfield in the postseason and the catch she made in center field was amazing. Our defense was great. Pilkington had a couple of diving plays. Just heads up plays by all of the infielders and outfielders. Ava Simpson when that girl rounded first and she tagged her. That was a huge play. Just huge heads up plays by everybody. “

Salt Fork beat Arcola 10-0 in six innings on March 17.

As for Brian’s hit in the seventh she attributed some to a new bat she bought two weeks ago.

“I got a new bat,” said Brian. “You get a new bat and everything feels good and then you just start to hit. I didn’t like how I hit very late in the games. New bat about two weeks ago. It is about an inch longer than my old one. To drive in two runs is just a surprise for me to do that being a freshman. That is really big and feels great.”

Sisk picked up the win allowing just three hits with 6 strikeouts and five walks.

“Her rise ball was pivotal tonight,” said Sisk’s catcher Ema Simpson. “She was getting the perfect spin on it to where they would hit it up in the air and they were hitting it high enough to where we would get under it. Her changeup worked well today. Solid defense helped a lot also”

As for making the Sweet 16 Ema Simpson said, “I’m still in shock. No doubt in my mind that we could not do it. At the start of the day the vibes were kind of down. We really picked it up and I am really proud of us.”

Sisk, who is not planning on playing sports in college said, “We get a Sweet 16 banner and it’s the furthest that I have ever been. This is really exciting. It means a lot, plus it is just a lot more fun. Everyone feels the hype. Everyone has stepped up their game.”

LeRoy 13, Arcola 2

Arcola had at least one runner on in each inning, but did not score until the fifth inning. The Lady Riders left six runners on the bases, including four in scoring position.

“We just couldn’t come up with hits at the right time,” said Roberts. “No one really expected us to be here. Today’s game wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but getting here is what is so exciting.”

Defensively, the old bug-a-boo returned for Arcola and that is errors. Arcola committed five in the game as only six of the runs were earned.

The Lady Riders came out and threatened right away as Ava Simpson walked and with one out Ema Simpson singled to left as her sister moved to second. With two outs they both advanced a base on steals, but the final out was a ground out.

The Panthers, 33-5, scored the first run of the game on an error.

“It was a huge run,” said LeRoy coach Doug Hageman. “ I told the Sisk girl tonight after the game she kept me up at night. I was incredibly nervous. That is one of the better athletes in general that I can remember in a while. She is super competitive. She is capable of beating anyone at any time. We gave up a few hits and they had traffic in the first inning and for us to come out and score a run was exciting.”

In the third LeRoy sent 10 to the plate and scored six runs all with one out. Big hits were two run single to left by Lilly Long and a single (and two-base error) by Molly Scheuer. LeRoy led 7-0 after three.

“They didn’t give up,” said Roberts. “After the third inning we could have very easily just folded and walked off the field. It shows that they came to fight and came to play. Errors hurt us.

It has been a tough season. They have overcome the losses, the losses that should not have happened and they put it together and fought all the way through. They had a great year and I am not going to forget it.”

Roberts was on one of the Sweet 16 teams in 2013, her senior year at AHS. That team beat LeRoy in the sectional semifinals before losing to Illini Bluffs 2-1 in the Lewistown Sectional Championship.

Arcola erased the shutout as Ava Simpson was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a walk to Ema Simpson. The Lady Riders pulled off a perfect steal of home by Ava Simpson as Ema Simpson stole second for the double steal. Ema Simpson scored on a single by Pilkington.

“LeRoy is a very tough hitting team,” said Roberts. “They put the ball in play. That is kind of what we told the girls they are going to put the ball in play you just have to make the plays. LeRoy is a good program, a good team and always make a run in the postseason. We usually play them the first game of the season, but we were rained out.”

Arcola senior Ava Simpson said, “At the beginning of the season we had a rough start. It was up and down and up and down. I think the main reason we got so far is because we know we have had such a hard season and that we just didn’t want to give up now. Making it another game and another game. It showed us that we could do this. Being in the Sweet 16 makes me so happy. I have had such a great senior year. It is a blessing and I am so glad I got to end it this way knowing we made it here and we have done so much for the Arcola program.”

IHSA Class 1A Sectional Championship at Oreana Friday

Arcola 000 02 –2-5-5

LeRoy 106 6x –13-8-1

Losing pitcher: Kacie Sisk 4 innings, 8 hits, 13 runs, 6 earned, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks

Winning pitcher: Jacey Hageman 5 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks

ARCOLA: Ava Simpson 1-for-1, 2 stolen bases, run; Ema Simpson 2-for-2, stolen base,run; Maddie Pilkington 1-for-3, RBI; Hayden Gauna 1-for-2

LEROY: Emily Mennenga 2-for-3, 2 runs; Morgan Fleming 3 runs; Laila Carr 2-for-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Natalie Loy 1-for-2, 2 runs; Lilly Long 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Molly Scheuer stolen base, 2 runs; Hageman 2 RBIs; Kendyl Spratt 1-for-3

IHSA Class 1A Sectional semifinals at Oreana May 27

Arcola 000 000 2–2-5-2

Argenta-Oreana 000 000 0–0-3-0

Winning pitcher: Sisk 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts, 5 walks

Losing pitcher: Karli McGee 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk

ARCOLA: Sisk 1-fro-3, run; Ema Simpson 1-for-3, double, run; Kaydence Nichols 1-for-2; Jacy Brian 1-for-3, stolen base, 2 RBIs; Gauna 1-or-2

ARGENTA-OREANA: Ava Ringstrom 1-for-3; Morgan Russell 1-for-2; Bella Kurtenbach 1-for-3

IHSA Class 1A Baseball Sectional semifinals at Arcola May 28

Mount Pulaski 001 000 0–1-4-3

GCMS 000 120 x–3-7-1

Arg-Ore 000 00–0-2-1

Salt Fork 024 22–10-8-0