PEORIA (WCIA) — Charleston softball looked like it had been to the state tournament before, holding its own against an Antioch team that finished third a season ago. The Sequoits scored just one run through five innings, and only three on the day, but the Trojans bats went cold only recording two hits, in a 3-0 loss in the Class 3A semifinals at Louisville Slugger.

“We preached that all year that we got to stay together, that we got to stay a family and they’re really, really showing that,” Charleston head coach Blain Mayhall said. “They keep bringing that energy, I love our bench. They’re sitting there cheering nonstop and that’s just as important as throwing the pitches and hitting the ball so we’re very proud of them as well.”

“We couldn’t do anything else you know,” Charleston junior pitcher Addison Shrader said. “That was probably one of the best games I’ve ever pitched. I gave it my all. I don’t think I can go out there and pitch another pitch. It felt amazing. I loved how my team was backing me up.”

It was a battle of the pitchers, with Antioch’s Jacey Schuler, a Michigan State commit, with nine strikeouts, only allowing two hits for the Trojans. The Trojans managed to get two runners on base in the sixth inning but couldn’t get anything across.

“When we started going into the third, fourth inning and it was just back and forth with the pitchers, I was like, ‘This is how the game’s going to be,'” Shrader said. “It’s whichever team is going to break out first and obviously that wasn’t us.”

Now the Trojans will look to turn their focus to the third place game Saturday morning against Benet Academy, with first pitch set for 9 a.m. in Peoria. Regardless of the result, Charleston will bring home its first state softball trophy in program history.

“We still have it,” said Shrader. “We’re still going to go into tomorrow thinking hey we still got one more game and brushing it off and we can still place.”