Bianca Gallegos’ role has changed since the last time Warren played in a sectional game.
The Blue Devils have changed too.
Two years ago, Gallegos was a promising sophomore on a talented and experienced team led by the stellar pitching and powerful hitting of senior Caitlyn Britton.
Now, after missing last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gallegos is part of a small group of seniors playing extensively on a team filled with new faces and young players.
“I was brought up my sophomore season for the postseason,” Gallegos said of her last trip to the sectional. “All of our sophomores (on this team) are so good and talented. Most of our team is super, super young, and us seniors are trying to be role models for these young girls.”
Batting in the ninth spot Tuesday, Gallegos hit a two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth to seal Warren’s 12-2 win against Prospect in a Class 4A sectional semifinal in Gurnee.
After cruising past the third-seeded Knights (18-11), the second-seeded Blue Devils (21-5) have a tough task in the sectional final, where they will play at top-seeded Barrington (32-1) at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The Fillies defeated fifth-seeded Buffalo Grove 5-0 on Tuesday.
Gallegos, who was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, capped off Warren’s 14-hit performance with a soft liner into center field to end the game by the 10-run rule. Junior leadoff hitter Hailey Conger had three hits and two RBIs.
“That felt so good, to hit it right over the second baseman’s head and get that walk-off and get us into playing Barrington,” Gallegos said. “It was a good confidence booster because I’ve been in a slump a bit.”
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Seniors Brooke Mangler and Emily Craig are the two key returnees from the 2019 team that won a regional title, but another sophomore has filled Britton’s role.
Sydney Jackson (14-2) put together a Britton-like performance, striking out seven while scattering five hits over six innings. She helped her own cause with a 4-for-4 effort at the plate that included three RBIs. Jackson, a triplet with two brothers, finished with two singles, a double and a triple.
“It felt good,” Jackson said of her hitting. “When I help myself out on the hitting side, it definitely feels amazing. I felt good on the mound, was ready and confident.”
The Knights hurt their chances for an upset by committing three errors and failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the second inning. The Blue Devils scored in every inning but the third.
“When we put it together, good things happen,” Warren coach Jenna Charbonneau said. “We kept chipping and chipping away and put a little on in every inning. We just kept coming. Sydney was great on the mound and hitting her spots.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.