Bridget McDermott had quite a 17th birthday bash on Saturday.
The junior pitcher celebrated on the softball field, where host Shepard won a Class 4A regional championship for the first time in the program’s history.
That McDermott had one of her best games in the 4-0 victory over Mother McAuley was icing on the cake.
“It’s an amazing day,” McDermott said. “When I found out that this was on my birthday, I prayed so hard that we would win.
“Before we started playing, we all went into the hallway and touched the blank space (for a plaque) on the wall. Now we have it, and we can go put it up there.”
McDermott provided most of the bash with her own bat.
In the first inning, she delivered an RBI double. In the fourth, she hit a solo home run. Her line-drive single in the sixth made her 3-for-3.
And that wasn’t all.
The right-handed McDermott (12-6) fired a five-hit shutout, striking out six. She worked her way out of several jams, stranding seven.
Jessica Coyle added a two-run homer for the Astros (21-8), who will play at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against Sandburg in a Hinsdale South Sectional semifinal game.
Fiona Biondic went 3-for-3 for Mother McAuley (11-16-1).
McDermott’s first mighty swing gave Shepard a quick 1-0 lead. It was followed up a few pitches later by Coyle’s two-run shot to left-center.
“The first time I went out (to pitch), my adrenaline was through the roof,” McDermott said. “When we scored, it made me feel better pitching.”
Coyle followed up her home run with a defensive gem in the top of the second.
McAuley had two on and nobody out when Coyle, playing in at first base, speared a bunt attempt on the fly. She then whirled around and made a perfect throw to Brooke Becker to double the runner off of first.
“(McDermott) was yelling, ‘One,’” Coyle said. “I wouldn’t have even thrown it, but I heard her yell and I was like, ‘Oh, get rid of it.’ Thank God.
“We prepare really well for these (situations). Our coaches practice really well with runners on first and second and no outs. We do a good job keeping composed.”
It was a day filled with frustration for the Mighty Macs, who had runners on base in all but two innings but couldn’t convert.
The reason behind the missed opportunities went beyond failure to hit in the clutch.
“Oh, yeah,” first-year Mighty Macs coach Kathleen Mixan said. “The baserunning was not there, the bunting was not there. We just were not smart (Saturday) at all.
“Next year is going to be a new season. Rebuilding the program is going to be a pretty long road from here. But we’ll get there at some point and I’m excited for it.”