BELLEVILLE • Few area offenses can strike fear into opposing hurlers like the O'Fallon Panthers.
"They are a very explosive team," said Collinsville coach Cindy Kolda of Southwestern Conference rival O'Fallon. "And once they start hitting, it's hard to stop them."
Kolda and the Kahoks know better than most. In a pair of conference wins this spring, the Panthers outscored the Kahoks 26-5. So when Collinsville earned a third shot against O'Fallon in the semifinals of the Class 4A Moline sectional Wednesday at Belleville West, starter Sydney Skeel was determined to keep O'Fallon's hitters from their appointed rounds.
But against Panthers slugger Lauren Smith and her teammates, that is easier said than done. In her second at-bat, the O'Fallon senior catcher cranked a three-run homer over the left field fence. That led to a five-run third inning, which propelled the Panthers to a 7-2 victory.
O'Fallon (27-4) advances to the sectional final on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Moline against either Normal Community or Moline, who play on Thursday. Collinsville, which did get nine strikeouts from Skeel, ended its season 25-11.
The Panthers, who were beaten by Moline in last year's sectional final at Belleville East, are so ready for their next contest that they are heading north on Thursday, two days before the contest. They plan to watch the other semifinal, then practice on Friday.
"I'm very excited," O'Fallon coach Kate Walsh said. "This is exactly where we want to be."
The Panthers scored a run off Skeel in the top of the first when Sam Ralphs singled and Smith walked. Ralphs then came home on a Macy Oswald single.
Ralphs, who had three hits on the day, singled in the third as well and pitcher Kelsie Stoszkus did the same. That brought in Smith, who was sitting on 21 homers this spring. Walsh said Smith was a little anxous in her first at-bat, so she had some advice for her.
"The bat before that, she wanted to hit the ball," Walsh said. "I don't know if you saw, but she was stepping across the plate, and I'm like, no, just relax. I'm happy they threw to her."
Smith, who came in hitting .656 with 66 RBIs, is used to being pitched around. So she was surprised to get something she could drive.
"It was up in my hands," Smith said. "I think it might have been a rise ball, and I got my hands up to it."
After the home run, Skeel walked Oswald and Michelle Craddick. Each moved up on a double steal, and Taylor Bowlby drove them in with a line drive single to left center, which put the Panthers up 6-0.
Collinsville rallied with two runs in the sixth inning, as Rachel Scrum doubled in Kerri Yanousek, who had doubled, and Jessica Ledford, who had reached on an infield single.
But that was the only damage the Kahoks could do off Stoszkus, who allowed just four hits and fanned 12. Skeel allowed 11 hits, but the home run changed the game.
"The pitch missed," Kolda said. "It happens. You don't want to intentionally walk her every time. You want to try to get it outside and try to get her to ground out and let your defense do a little for you.
"One inning got away from us. We had a couple opportunities to make big plays and we didn't make those plays. And against a good team you have to do that. Hopefully everyone learned something from today."
