The Road to East Peoria: Sectional shocker derails PCHS hopes
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[There were plenty of opportunities-and then some-for Pinckneyville Community High School's softball team to blow Thursday's Class 2A sectional semifinal against Herrin out of the water.
The Lady Panthers, however, stranded 10 runners during the first four innings and fell against a late Herrin rally by a 7-6 count.
Herrin's now 21-12 and moves into Saturday's title game against Johnston City (32-3) or Waterloo's Gibault Catholic (25-5).
Thursday, lightning postponed the J'City vs. Gibault game for the second straight day. They are scheduled to play at 4:30 Friday.
"You just can't leave 10 people on base in the first four or five innings," said Pinckneyville coach Greg Hale. "We had chances to score in every single inning."
Pinckneyville still managed to scratch out runs in each of the first three innings and led 3-0 before Herrin broke through against PCHS starter Sara Malanowski.
A three-run trople from Emily Cripps in the fifth inning turned a 3-1 Lady Panthers lead into a 4-3 Herrin advantage.
The lead was 6-3 entering the final frame before Pinckneyville (36-2) made a last-ditch rally. Dani Jenkel and Mo Ramsey each smacked RBI doubles and the third run raced home after a Herrin error to suddenly tie things at 6-6.
In the last of the seventh, Nicole Staples won the game for the Lady Tigers with an RBI single off Pinckneyville's Emliy Chapman (15-1).
Jenkel had two of Pinckneyville's eigth hits.
Thursday's loss signalled the end of a Southern Illinois softball era as Hale is retiring.
In 27 seasons, the legendary coach fashioned a record of 675-210-2.
11 times, the Lady Panthers won more than 30 games with nine sectional appearances and seven state trophies.