Benet’s Grace Fajardo didn’t want her high school career to end quietly.
With the Redwings trailing 6-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning Friday, Fajardo stepped into the batter’s box. And the senior shortstop was ready to make a stand.
“I was up there at the plate just thinking this could be my last time,” she said.
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There would more on her plate, however.
Fajardo’s RBI double sparked a three-run inning that gave the Redwings hope during a 12-3 loss to St. Ignatius in the Class 3A Glenbard South Sectional championship game.
Benet (21-7) was playing in its first sectional final since 2014.
Fajardo, the team’s leadoff hitter, began the game with a single, the only hit through the first four innings against Wolfpack starter Ellie Giles.
By the time Fajardo came back up to the plate, sophomore infielder Bridget Chapman was on second base following a double. But the Redwings were facing the six-run deficit.
Fajardo’s deep drive to the wall was the first true offensive highlight for Benet.
“We’re so close as a team,” she said. “Seeing ‘Chap’ get that hit and everyone else just makes you want to do it. It makes you think this is just softball and we’re going to do it every time.
“We worked so hard this season.”
With five freshmen and five sophomores, Benet appears to have a bright future.
Friday, though, provided a moment of reflection for seniors like Fajardo and starting pitcher Samantha Schilf, whose father Jerry is the Redwings’ coach.
“I think for the underclassmen, this helped speed up their experience and it will help for the future,” Fajardo said. “My freshman year, I was a completely different person.
“I’ve matured, and I am very grateful for the coaches who gave me the opportunity these four years to help me develop.”
A crafty left-hander, Schilf struck out four in five innings.
“Even though it didn’t end the way we wanted, it means so much to me to play for my dad and play for my team,” she said. “All throughout the season, we just wanted to prove ourselves to everyone.”
Schilf, a North Central College recruit, was the team’s ace this season. She showed excellent movement and direction against St. Ignatius (27-8-1).
“That definitely gives me an advantage and helps me stand out a little bit,” Schlif said about being a southpaw. “People are sometimes thrown off by that.
“As a pitcher, I’ve always liked being in control and having everyone rely on me.”
The bottom of the fifth underscored Benet’s the grit and resolve.
Consecutive doubles by Chapman and Fajardo preceded an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Nina Pesare.
Most impressively, Pesare scored from second on a disputed play after an appeal ruled the St. Ignatius first baseman was off the base.
Chapman, meanwhile, represents the next generation of young talent coming up through the ranks for the Redwings.
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“The Ignatius girl was definitely a great pitcher,” Chapman said. “I was just trying to create contact — get something started for the team and see what we could do to try and get back into the game.”
For senior third baseman Elayna Brdecka, a Dayton recruit, her final game at Benet demonstrated the growth and development of a program on an upward trajectory.
“When we were able to put things together and have that team chemistry and bond, that’s when I knew we were capable of doing something special,” she said. “We knew if we believed in each other, we’d be able to do things.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.