Which Peoria-area softball teams won IHSA hardware this weekend?

Illini Bluffs is one step closer to defending its softball state championship.

The reigning Class 1A champion Tigers defeated Havana 11-2 on Friday to win the Jacksonville Routt Sectional, the program's sixth sectional title overall and third in a row.

Kierston McCoy got the win for IB, allowing five hits and striking out four in seven innings. Zoe Eeten led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs. Tinley Beecham added two hits, two walks and two RBIs.

Libbie Johnson led Havana with two hits, including a home run and two RBIs.

The scores:2022 IHSA softball state tournament schedule, scores, pairings for the Peoria area

IB advances to the Springfield Supersectional to face either Hardin Calhoun or Marissa at 11 a.m. Monday. The winner there advances to the state finals set for June 3-4 at Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria.

Also in Class 1A, St. Bede lost to Biggsville West Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Williamsfield Sectional.

Class 2A

Macomb (21-6) won the program's first sectional title in more than two decades with a 6-2 win over Buffalo Tri-City on Friday in the Athens Sectional. 

Macomb was in the sectional title game for the first time since 2002 and had not won a sectional crown since 1999 — the third-straight year the Bombers went to the state finals.

"They're all very good with pressure," Macomb coach Shawna Robinson said. "I keep saying this, but we play a lot of softball outside of school ball. And they've just been in a lot of pressure games. 

"They just know how to handle the pressure, and I'm very proud of them."

Semifinal win:Macomb's double carousel puts Bombers in IHSA softball sectional title game

Kaitlyn Robinson of Macomb pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Hannah Higgins was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while, Ainsley Holthaus doubled and drove in a pair of runs.

The Bombers advance to face Tolono Unity at the Decatur Supersectional, scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Millikin.

Class 3A

The stacked Washington Sectional has been set.

Four state-ranked programs — Metamora, East Peoria, Rock Island and Bloomington —won regional championships this weekend and advanced to the Washington Sectional, scheduled to begin Tuesday at Jan Smith Field.

Metamora, ranked No. 3 statewide, won the Geneseo Regional with a 6-2 victory over the host. Kaidance Till hit a home run that gave a lasting 4-1 lead to the Redbirds, who won their 13th regional title since 2003 and second in a row.

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East Peoria, ranked No. 4 in Illinois, won its own regional with a 9-8 win over Normal West. This is the Raiders' first regional since taking second statewide in 2017 and eighth overall.

Metamora advances to face No. 7-ranked Bloomington in the first sectional semifinal, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Raiders defeated No. 8-ranked Washington, 5-2, in their own regional championship game on Saturday.

EP advances to face No. 5-ranked Rock Island in the second sectional semifinal, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Rocky beat LaSalle-Peru 3-1 for the Dunlap Regional championship on Saturday.