With victories Thursday and Saturday to take the Centralia Sectional title, the Columbia Eagles softball team looked like an unstoppable force primed for a visit to this year’s state tournament.

But their season came to an abrupt halt Monday in the Class 3A Mattoon Supersectional.

The Eagles ran into a tough Chatham Glenwood squad they had previously beaten, 5-2, on May 10. Chatham Glenwood pitcher Brianna Graham helped her team avenge that loss on Monday, scattering just five hits in a 5-0 win.

Graham received plenty of help from her defense, as Columbia constantly put the ball in play. Unfortunately, the Eagles just couldn’t string enough hits together to score.

The Eagles also committed four errors, which certainly didn’t help matters.

Columbia’s star pitcher, Brianna Weilbacher, dropped to 29-2 on the season with the defeat, and the Eagles ended their season with a 34-3 record.

Monday’s stinging season-ending loss was preceded by an amazing sectional championship performance from Weilbacher on Saturday. The senior, who will play for Iowa State University next season, twirled a no-hitter against Centralia at Kaskaskia College and hit a solo home run in the 1-0 victory.

Her 15th homer of the season came in the sixth inning and broke a scoreless tie. In addition to throwing multiple no-hitters this season, Weilbacher hit .505 with 51 RBIs at the plate and led the team in home runs.

Rachel Garcia just missed a home run in the second inning Saturday, settling instead for a double off the top of the fence.

Thursday against Highland in the Centralia Sectional semifinal, Weilbacher again was a force in the pitching circle and at the plate for the Eagles. She allowed just five hits in a com

plete game performance and hit a solo home run in a 3-1 win.

“She was in the groove and was hitting her spots well,” Columbia head coach Rhonda Major said of her ace.

Weilbacher’s solo homer made it 2-0 in the first inning. Teammate Caitlyn Touchette kept her recent power surge going, smacking a solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-0 Eagles. Kalli Farmer added two hits for Columbia.

After Highland plated a run in the fifth, Weilbacher finished strong. She struck out the side in the seventh for the win. In all, Weilbacher recorded 13 strikeouts.

While an immense talent such as Weilbacher will be very tough to replace, the Eagles have a strong nucleus returning next season. Shortstop Kaylee Bastien hit .508 with 49 runs scored; catcher Taryn Pena hit .477 with 42 RBIs; Farmer hit .441 with 51 runs scored at second base; Touchette hit .434 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs at third base. Other key returning players are Brianna’s sister, Courtney Weilbacher, who hit .446 this spring, and Garcia, who hit .469.

Sophomore pitcher Brina Rujawitz was 5-0 with a 1.93 ERA in spot start duty for the Eagles.