Lady Indians hold fourth in Big Northern

By Christopher Johnson

REPORTER

Being in the middle of the pack in the current conference chase put the Winnebago Lady Indians softball team in slightly average position as the prepare for another chance to push for a championship in this year’s second season.

A fourth-place holding in the Big Northern might be too much to overcome, if a last-ditch attempt to control the right’s to head-to-head’s best honors in the Big Northern is to be won by Winnebago.

Oregon carried a 17-4 season mark into its weekend and was leading the Big Northern with an 8-1 record. The Lady Hawks earned the two-seed in Sub-Sectional B in the upcoming Rosemont Stadium 2A Super-Sectional.

Stillman Valley sat ahead of Winnebago in the Big Northern with a 10-3 mark and held onto second place heading into the weekend.

The Lady Cardinals were, one game back of the Lady Hawks, yet had still done enough this season to earn the number one seed in Sub-Sectional B, which put them in a more favorable position over Oregon, ahead of the post-season.

North Boone sat in third place in the Big Northern as IHSA Playoff Schedule Coordinators penciled in their decisions as to which teams started 2A post-season play where.

Officials took into consideration the Lady Vikings 14-3 season mark and current third place showing in the Big Northern, as well as their win over the Lady Indians in late April, when they handed out the three-seed designation to North Boone.

This season, Winnebago’s efforts in its battle to success in the Big Northern earned them a correlative starting position in the IHSA 2A State Softball Tournament.

With a 6-3 record in the Big Northern and current fourth place showing, the Lady Indians know they will have to forge forth from the five, into the first weeks of June.

Multiple game wins will be required for Winnebago in any attempt to secure a shot at a Regional appearance on Saturday, June 5, as part of the make-up of Sub-Sectional A.

After Regional decisions are made, following finalization of game play on Saturday, June 5, the schedule pushes on through the Sectional with games to be completed on Saturday, June 12.

Winners from Sectional Complexes will advance to Super-Sectional sites at the start of the following week.

Winnebago, with unblemished victory through the second week of June will appear at Rosemont Stadium on Monday, June 14, to play for the Super-Sectional Title.

The IHSA Selection Committee typically makes the decision as to which team will play where and from what position with more games to consider.

Because of Covid19, considerations had to be pushed a little faster. Some teams benefited greatly from hot starts. Others, which developed later in the season, ended up finding themselves having to go down a slightly more difficult path because of it.

However, in the Lady Indians case, playing from the five-seed could prove highly-beneficial, having already learned what it takes to win as a result of the many battles they’ve survived in the Big Northern this year. Upsets could be waiting for this year’s Lady Indians.