Youth movement helps Regina softball to big year, including league and regional crowns

Young teams often show their youth throughout the year. It’s part of the process.

But this year’s Regina Dominican softball team is a case study to the contrary.

The Panthers, who featured just two seniors on their roster, delivered one of the best seasons in the program’s recent history.

Regina (17-9) captured a regional championship and battled its way into sectional play for the first time since 2018. The Panthers delivered a valiant effort Wednesday, May 27, to keep their postseason run going but fell to the sectional’s top seed, Chicago Christian, 4-1 in Elmhurst.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” head coach Angelo Calalang said. “The girls showed grit all season. They wanted to keep getting better and better all year and it shows. We weren’t expected to go this far and we made it this far. I like the future and if we can keep this culture going and keep everybody together I think we’re going to go further next year.”

The Knights opened the game’s scoring in the bottom of the second with some two-out damage.

After a base hit to left field started the rally, Chicago Christian knocked a single just over the infield to take a 1-0 lead.

But it was the Knights’ third inning that proved most costly. A leadoff single followed by a double set up Chicago Christian with two runners in scoring position and no outs. The Knights then extended their lead by plating one run via a wild pitch and a second on an infield single.

Chicago Christian found a way to manufacture one more run in the fourth with an RBI ground-out.

The Panthers refused to give in though, producing their best inning of the evening in the sixth.

Senior Olivia Fraterrigo smacked a leadoff double to start the frame. Then sophomore Addison Volkers followed with a double of her own to bring home Fraterrigo.

But one batter later, the Knights stymied the rally when their centerfielder made a nice catch and turned it into a double play.

Regina had a tough time solving Chicago Christian’s ace hurler Alivia Hovanec, who went the distance Wednesday. Hovanec had her swing-and-miss stuff working, as she struck out 11 Panthers over her seven innings of work.

“We knew going into this game that she was their only pitcher and we knew how good she is, but I told the girls if we can just … try and get her out of the game, I think we could go far today,” Calalang said. “But I give her a lot of respect for pitching the whole game and we can see why she pitches a lot.”

Regina put nine runners on base throughout the game and did particularly well to start innings, as the team’s leadoff hitter reached base in five of seven innings.

But the Panthers only brought around one of those runners to score, in part because of some tough batted-ball luck. Regina hit into three double plays during the game, two of which were strong defensive plays by the Knights that came on hard-hit balls from the Panthers.

“There were some missed opportunities tonight,” Calalang said. “I wish there was another game and we could learn from today, but we don’t have that. … It’s something we’ll look to fix in the future (but) some of those balls could have gone either way.”

Regina won 17 games in total this year and put together a perfect conference campaign to win the Independent School League title.

The Panthers will welcome back a majority of their starting lineup next season with top-of-the-order bats Quinn Christensen, Payton Aylward, Clare Lavar, Maeve Quinlan and Maeve Lavar all expected to return.

Wednesday’s starter Christensen and her fellow sophomore Volkers will also return to lead the Panthers in the circle next season.

“I felt that we accomplished a lot this season,” Calalang said. “We haven’t won regionals since 2018 … and this is just a building block and with this young team, if they can just keep getting better during the offseason, we’re going to go far. I look forward to next year’s team and keeping the culture going. I know this one hurts, but I’m very proud of the team.”

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