Geneva senior shortstop Elena Wright played in her final high school softball game Tuesday, as the Vikings suffered a season-ending loss to Downers Grove North in a 4A Geneva Regional semifinal.

Wright is set to attend the University of Alabama in the fall, but will not play softball. Considering the Crimson Tide's recent run of success, that's fine by her.

"I'll watch them," Wright said. "They're really good. I'll go to a bunch of their games."

Alabama will host Michigan on Thursday and Friday in an NCAA Tournament Super Regional, with the winner of the best-of-three series advancing to the College World Series.

Alabama is ranked second in the nation. It's the fifth straight season in which the team has hosted a Super Regional.

Rivals St. Charles East and St. Charles North will be set to play their third softball game in 10 days when they meet in a 4A St. Charles North Regional semifinal Wednesday.

Winding down their run to the Upstate Eight Conference River Division title, the North Stars beat the visiting Saints, 6-4, on May 12 before claiming a 7-6, 13-inning win at East on May 15.

"It took 20 innings to get two wins against St. Charles East, so who knows what will happen," North coach Tom Poulin said. "It will be a battle. They're going to have all the motivation in the world. We're going to have to match that and exceed it and play to our potential in order to advance in the regional."

Wednesday's winner will face Glenbard North for the regional title at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Showing up is half of life, the saying goes.

On Tuesday, the St. Francis and Wheaton Academy girls soccer teams lived out opposite incarnations of those words, but both eventually led the clubs to a meeting in Friday's Class 2A Elmwood Park Sectional final.

Heavy traffic nearly made the Spartans late for their 4:30 p.m. semifinal against the host Tigers, as St. Francis arrived with only about five minutes to warm up.

"It was back to gridlock and then we got stuck behind a freight train," Spartans coach Jim Winslow said. "Trying to get east on [Insterstate] 290 anywhere near O'Hare is just a nightmare at that time of day."

St. Francis fell behind, 1-0, in the opening minutes before rallying for a 5-1 victory. If only it could have been that easy for Suburban Christian Conference rival Wheaton Academy.

The Warriors downed Payton, 3-2, in quadruple overtime to set up a second meeting with St. Francis. The host Warriors defeated the Spartans, 2-1, on May 2.

Wheaton Academy has won three straight sectionals, while St. Francis is seeking its second sectional crown in as many seasons.

Only two more high school baseball games will be played at Geneva's Fifth Third Bank Ballpark this spring after St. Charles East defeated St. Charles North, 6-2, on Thursday.

Kaneland and Batavia are set to meet at the home of the Class A Kane County Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while Suburban Christian Conference rivals St. Francis and Montini are scheduled for a 6 p.m. game Monday.

Fifth Third, formerly known as Elfstrom Stadium before the Cougars reached an offseason naming-rights deal, also hosts spring collegiate games. Occasional youth, men's league and benefit games are played at the venue when the Cougars are on the road in the summer.

GENEVA – Public address announcer Bill Baker called for a moment of silence to honor late St. Charles East junior Anna Daley before East played St. Charles North at Fifth Third Bank ballpark Thursday night.

Daley, a Saints golfer, died May 8 from complications of acute myeloid leukemia. A memorial service was held Monday at First Baptist Church of Geneva’s West Campus.