Indians look to better last year’s finish

Shorstop Hallisey Kunde (left) guaranteed another Marengo state finals berth after the Indians finished fourth in the IHSA Class 3A state tournament last season. (Justin Edmonds – jedmonds@nwherald.com)

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Comparing this year’s Marengo softball team to its predecessor is becoming obsolete.

This season’s team, although no less talented, is a much different unit than the one that finished fourth in state at the IHSA Class 3A tournament in East Peoria.

Now that the Indians have won their regional, securing the crown with an 11-1 rout of Belvidere on Saturday in the Marengo Regional final, coach Dwain Nance and his players are ready to continue writing their own postseason story.

Last year, as much fun as it was for the players, many of whom headline this season’s team, is history. This year, and the IHSA Class 3A Marengo Sectional, which begins today, are all that matter.

The Indians face Vernon Hills at 4 p.m. today in the sectional semifinal. Marengo beat Vernon Hills, 1-0, to win a sectional title last season.

“They’re tired of talking about last year,” Nance said. “They’re ready to just focus on what they’re doing, and in some ways this year’s team is doing things better than they were last year. Offensively, I think we’re hitting better. Defense is probably about the same in terms of errors and hits and stuff like that, and I think we’ve given up about as many runs, but our pitching has matched what we were able to do last year. We have more wins this year than last, so we feel pretty good about where we’re at.”

Marengo (29-6) has shown this season that it is capable of doing nearly everything on the softball diamond – small ball, long ball, key defensive plays, smart pitching and scoring in bunches. When the Indians have struggled, as was the case twice against Big Northern Conference East Division nemesis Burlington Central, they have responded with a sound win.

Of course, the postseason is unforgiving, and a loss means the end of the Indians’ run.

But senior shortstop Hallisey Kunde guaranteed another berth in the state finals this season after the Indians wrapped up their fourth-place season last year and decided the finish was bittersweet.

There still is more Marengo would like to prove.

“The girls really want to make their own [statement],” Nance said.

Last season’s team relied heavily on Sarah Steinmann’s pitching. Steinmann graduated last school year, and this year the Indians have two pitchers who Nance considers co-aces.

Danielle Simons (18-1) and Mattie McGuire (9-5) have split pitching time. Both have an arsenal of fast and off-speed pitches.

Marengo’s lineup has backed up its leaders, as well. Kunde is batting better than .500 in the leadoff spot, and Lauren Roudabush averages .450. Amanda Hart is batting .380.

“Everyone is contributing,” Nance said. “We’ve got Chloe Montgomery down in the No. 8 spot hitting balls out of the park (in the regional final), and we’ve got (senior third baseman) Amanda Knutson, who has been all over the lineup. We’ve got a lot of players who can hit the ball very well.”

Marengo has a rich softball tradition, and this year’s team can write its own chapter in Indian softball history, Nance said.

“Hopefully, we’ve got five more games to play,” said Nance, whose team would need to win five more games to win the state championship.

Grayslake Central, which won the Class 3A Grayslake Central Regional on Saturday, will play Antioch, winner of the Richmond-Burton Regional, at
4 p.m. Thursday in the other sectional semifinal.

The sectional championship will be at 11 a.m. Saturday.