The Rockridge Rockets (38-1) rolled to their third straight Class 2A softball state championship with a 7-1 victory over Beecher (36-5) in Peoria Saturday afternoon.
Rockridge jumped on top 3-0 in the first inning, the big hit being centerfielder Kori Needham’s two run triple. Beecher closed the gap to 3-1 in the top of the fourth but Rockridge quickly answered in the bottom of the fourth with two runs coming in on Morgan Hofer’s double. The Rockets tacked on two more runs to push the final margin to six.
Needham, Hofer, and Cierra Bush drove in two runs for Rockridge. Taylor Dietrich had one RBI.
Kendra Lewis (25-0) went the distance to get the win giving up the one run on six hits. Lewis finishes her junior year 63-0 overall, while being the winning pitcher in each of the Rockets three state championships.
The Rockets became the third team to three-peat, matching Alleman (1992-94) and Cobden (2008-10). Rockridge closes out the season riding a 30-game winning streak and now have a 102-1 record over the last three seasons. The Rockets have won 22 straight postseason games.
Highlights from WRMJ’s broadcast, including the entire top of the 7th inning
Rockridge head coach John Nelson
Rockridge senior Payton Brown
Rockridge senior Cierra Bush
Rockridge junior Kendra Lewis