ORION – The Mendota Junior League All-Star softball team won five of six games to capture the Illinois State Championship held July 13-16 at Orion.

The Mendota all-stars started off the tournament with a convincing 15-1 triumph over Brookfield in the first of two games on July 13. The game was called after the top of the fifth because of the 10-run rule.

Brookfield started the scoring with what proved to be its lone run of the game in the top of the first. After that, it was all Mendota. The all-stars scored twice in the bottom of the first and seven times in the second to put the game away. Mendota added three runs in the third and three more in the fourth.

Mendota finished with nine hits, including two doubles by Emma Schultz and a pair of singles by Katie Jenner. Macy Pizano-Olson and Zoe Hanson also doubled.

Ryleigh Sondgeroth pitched 1 1/3 innings, while Maddy Dalton went the rest of the way in the circle.

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Mendota absorbed its lone loss of the tournament in the second game on July 13, 6-5, to Archer Manor.

Archer Manor pushed across a run in the top of the first, but Mendota responded with four in the bottom of the frame. Katie Jenner led off with a home run, while Sondgeroth, Dalton and ReAnna Brant had doubles in the inning. Macy Pizano-Olson added a single.

Mendota made it 5-1 in the bottom of the single on a single by Alyssa Engels and a double off the bat of Pizano-Olson.

Archer Manor made it 5-2 with a run in the fourth, then it dented home plate four times in the fifth and held on for the victory.

Pizano-Olson (single, two doubles) paced Mendota’s 10-hit attack, while Brant singled and doubled.

Sondgeroth got the start in the circle and worked 4 1/3 innings. She allowed six hits, three runs (two earned), walked two and struck out five. Dalton finished out the game and was tagged with the loss. She gave up two hits, no earned runs, walked two and fanned six.

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Mendota’s offense was virtually unstoppable as it crushed Huntley, 13-1, in a five-inning game on July 14.

Huntley led 1-0 heading to the bottom of the second when the Mendota all-stars scored twice to take the lead for good. Mendota sent 14 batters to the plate in the fourth and 11 of them scored to seal the deal.

Mendota collected 18 hits in the contest. Those with multiple hits included Jenner (two doubles, single), Pizano-Olson (single, double, triple), Sondgeroth (two singles), Schultz (single, double), Hanson (single, double), Ava Jones (two singles) and Engels (two singles).

Dalton tamed the Huntley hitters to the tune of just one hit and one run over five frames. She walked two and struck out 10.

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Mendota played for a second time on July 14 and nudged across a run in the bottom of the seventh to squeak out a 5-4 victory over Pike County.

The all-stars found themselves down 4-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth when they tied the game on four hits and a Pike County error. Brant and Jenner both doubled in the inning, while Pizano-Olson and Dalton each had a single.

After Sondgeroth set down the Pike County hitters in order in the top of the seventh, Mendota got the game-winner in the bottom of the inning when Engels led off with a single and eventually scampered home on a single by Pizano-Olson.

Pizano-Olson (three singles) led the offensive attack, while Dalton had a pair of singles and Jenner and Brant both doubled.

Sondgeroth went the distance in the circle, giving up five hits and two earned runs. She issued three free passes and struck out three.

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Mendota claimed a pair of victories on July 16 to win the state title. The all-stars began the day with an 11-1 verdict over Twin Rivers-Colona in a contest called after five innings by the 10-run rule.

A seven-run top of the first did the trick for Mendota as it lashed out eight hits in the inning. The all-stars added single runs in the second and fifth frames, and two runs in the third.

Mendota banged out 11 hits, led by Jenner with three singles and a double. Engels (single, double) also had a multi-hit game.

Dalton got the pitching win, going the first three innings and allowing just two hits and an unearned run. She fanned six and did not issue a walk. Sondgeroth set down six of seven batters she faced in relief.

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Mendota came out smoking in the title game and rolled over Pike County, 9-2, to claim the state championship banner.

Jenner led off the bottom of the first with a single and Pizano-Olson followed with a home run. Mendota tacked on five more runs in the second on four hits and two walks. Schultz had a double in the frame.

Sondgeroth held Pike County scoreless through three innings before allowing an unearned run in the fourth and one more in the fifth. She gave up six hits in the contest and struck out one.

Mendota finished the scoring with single tallies in the fifth and sixth.

The all-stars piled up 11 hits, with Schultz (two doubles), Brant (single, double) and Engels (two singles) getting two apiece.