Lincoln-Way Central, led by Florida State commit Lisabella Dimitrijevic, defeated rival Lincoln-Way West 5-0 on Tuesday to advance to the sectional championship.
Dimitrijevic, a senior captain, pitched seven innings without allowing any runs and struck out eight batters. She also contributed offensively with a double, continuing her impressive season in which she has surpassed 1,000 career strikeouts. “She’s been great for four years,” head coach Jeff Tarala said. “Her presence alone gives everyone confidence.”
According to reports from Lockport High School, the Knights established control early in the game. Junior Ellie McLaughlin’s RBI single in the second inning gave Central a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, senior Jaimee Bolduc hit a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 3-0. Senior Teegan Berkshire then delivered a decisive two-run home run in the sixth inning.
“Our approach was to stay aggressive and stick to our plan,” Bolduc said.
Defensively, Lincoln-Way Central performed well, with outfielder Carly Karales making a crucial running catch in the seventh inning to help secure the shutout.
Despite their loss, Lincoln-Way West’s Abby Brueggmann pitched effectively and kept the game competitive in its early stages. “We battled a great team,” Warriors head coach Heather Novak said. “We’ll use this as fuel for next season.”