PEORIA — Welcome to legendary status, Jensen Krantz.
The junior first baseman admitted to feeling the pressure, but she was also feeling confident Friday afternoon for Yorkville.
Even better?
Krantz, the only left-hander in coach Jory Regnier’s lineup, was up to the task.
“Normally, I’m confident even getting down 0-2 in the count,” Krantz said. “But in this situation, I was just hoping to find the first hittable pitch and drive it.”
On the first she saw in the bottom of the 13th inning, Krantz came up with that drive — a looping walk-off hit with the bases loaded and two outs against Oak Park-River Forest.
The Foxes trailed 3-2 in a Class 4A state semifinal at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, but Krantz’s single on a soft liner just out of the shortstop’s reach drove in two runs.
It capped an amazing comeback and gave Yorkville a 4-3 victory.
It also advanced the Foxes to Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. state championship game against Marist (36-2), a 10-0 winner in five innings over Barrington in the other semifinal.
“I honestly think it was staying the course, holding on to that vision,” Regnier said. “We were hitting the ball the whole day. It was a matter of not if but when.
“We worked in the offseason on the mental side of big moments. That showed these girls were prepared. There you have it.”
Miami of Ohio recruit Madi Reeves
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dueled with Bella Morales to a 1-1 tie through 12 innings before Oak Park-River Forest (31-8) erupted for two runs in the top of the 13th.
That outburst was fueled by two outfield errors, but the Foxes were not done yet. Especially with the top of the order on deck.
“When I saw 1-2-3 hitters coming up, I felt like we had it in the bag,” Krantz said. “I have a lot of confidence in our lineup.”
It wasn’t looking real good, though, as freshman catcher Kayla Kersting singled between a pair of fly outs to right field.
Sara Ebner singled and Kersting beat a throw to third before scoring on an infield single by Sam Davidowski that glanced off the foot of Morales, who then walked Katlyn Schaeder to load the bases.
Krantz, who entered the game hitting .400, had been quiet up to that point with a strikeout, sacrifice bunt, a hard-hit groundout to third and a fly out to left field.
Ebner, standing on third base as Krantz walked up to the plate, said she called it.
“I was thinking she was due,” Ebner said. “It was her turn. We had runners on. They were pulled in, and I was thinking she’s gonna hit a little blooper and we’re gonna go. And that’s exactly what happened.”
At normal depth, shortstop junior Elyssa Hasapis might have come up with the ball for the Huskies.
“I didn’t think it was hit that hard and I thought the shortstop had it,” Krantz said. “I got to first and then watched. (Ebner and Davidowski) were on their horses and got the runs in.”
A mob scene ensued.
Reeves (25-1), who finished with 15 strikeouts, sat back and enjoyed the show.
“I think anything can happen with this team,” Reeves said. “I think anything is possible. We leave it all on the field. We just want it for everybody.”
Reeves struggled with her control early and finding her footing on the turf field. She said an abundance of rubber pellets made her shoes slippery.
She changed into cleats after the first inning and cruised thereafter.
“I was just sliding everywhere,” Reeves said.
Regnier, meanwhile, had confidence in Krantz.
“One thing she was doing was hitting the ball on the ground,” Regnier said. “She struck out once, but she wasn’t airballing it time after time.
“All she had to do was hit a gap and not hit it right at them, and there it was.”
It took Ebner’s breath away.
“My big thing is always ‘take a breath’ but I wasn’t breathing,” Ebner said when asked about the bottom of the 13th inning. “I’m still shaking. This win is crazy.”