Bridget Chapman hasn’t always been Benet’s cleanup hitter.
But with Chapman firmly installed in the fourth spot, her ability to be a run producer is underscored.
“Being the four hitter now just helps the team flow,” Chapman said. “We have a lot going on in front of me.”
The Redwings had a lot going on during the four innings of their Class 3A St. Ignatius Sectional semifinal at UIC’s Flames Field on Wednesday, and Chapman was in the middle of it all. The junior infielder went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring triple and a two-run double in top-seeded Benet’s 16-1 rout of seventh-seeded Wheaton St. Francis.
“I think today I was just seeing the ball really well and going into the box with a clear mind and doing it for the team and not myself,” she said. “I went out there with the idea there was a job to be done, and we did it as a team.”
The top-seeded Redwings (23-11) advance to play third-seeded St. Ignatius (21-15), which defeated second-seeded Fenwick 5-2, in the sectional championship game at 4 p.m. Friday.
Chapman is hitting .401 with 40 RBIs and 25 runs scored. She has 15 extra-base hits, including five home runs.
Her triple in the bottom of the second inning was her first of the season, and her 210-foot double bounced off the wall in deep center field in the bottom of the third.
Chapman helped the Redwings effectively put the game away during a seven-hit, seven-run first inning. Her two-out single sparked a stretch of six consecutive hits.
Junior pitcher Alexandra O’Rourke benefited from the offensive outburst to improve to 9-3. But she allowed just one hit anyway while striking out four. The only run for the Spartans (20-12-1) developed off a three-base error.
O’Rourke balanced velocity with deception.
“My stuff is all about messing with people,” she said. “I love messing with people’s heads and make them guess about my stuff.
“I also love trusting my catcher, Grace Babich, and my defense. That is the best stuff that I have. When Grace and I play together as a team, we can beat anybody.”
The Redwings have looked that way in the postseason, scoring 50 runs over their three games. Benet, which has reached double figures 17 times this season, is averaging 9.29 runs.
“I think in the last couple of games it is just the confidence that we have and how we feed off of each other,” Benet’s Marikate Ritterbusch said.
Ritterbusch had one of the Redwings’ three triples.
“When our first couple of hitters get on, we just pick each other up and play off of that,” she said.
Chapman is the rock in the middle.
“During my freshman and sophomore year, I was one of the youngest players on the team,” she said. “Now this year I have stepped up being that starter and leader.
“It has definitely helped me get ready for that role. The seniors who graduated set me up to get in this position, and now I am paying it back.”
The Redwings will be looking for payback against St. Ignatius, which beat them 12-3 in the sectional final a year ago and eventually lost to Lemont 1-0 in the state championship game.
The stage is set for a rematch.
“We haven’t played them this year,” Chapman said. “It’s definitely a big game for us. We didn’t play well against them last year. This year we have to be better.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.