Hart comes through in clutch

Marengo's Amanda Hart high-fives coach Dwain Nance after hitting a triple during the sixth inning of Wednesday's 3A Sectional semifinal game against Prairie Ridge in Crystal Lake. Marengo won, 3-2. (Travis Haughton – thaughton@nwherald.com)

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Amanda Hart had no idea how many people rushed the field and started hugging her.

All the Marengo senior second baseman was certain of was that she had drilled the most important double of her season – a one-out shot up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning of a tied IHSA Class 3A Prairie Ridge Sectional semifinal against the host Wolves on Wednesday. Sophomore Reed Karsten sped home for the go-ahead run to give Marengo a 3-2 win against Prairie Ridge, and suddenly everything in Hart’s world was magnified and standing still.

“Oh my gosh,” Hart said, wiping her palms on her jersey as fans and teammates shouted their praise. “I mean, I was pretty confident.”

“I knew that this had to be the time, so I just knew I needed to get a clutch hit, but to get it ... I’m ecstatic,” Hart said.

It was a fitting ending for the second nail-biting showdown between the teams this season.

Marengo (34-4), designated the home team via a coin toss at the start of the game, had the top of its order up in the bottom of the seventh.

Karsten singled and moved to second on junior shortstop Lauren Roudabush’s sacrifice bunt, then Hart (3 for 4) sent an 0-2 fastball from Prairie Ridge freshman Kirsten Stevens up the middle to end the game.

“I think she might have let it slip a little bit or something because I got a hold of it,” said Hart, who also tripled to lead off the sixth.

Marengo took a 2-0 lead in the sixth when junior first baseman Chloe Montgomery smacked a one-out double to right center, driving in catcher Kaleigh Velasquez and pitcher Danielle Simons. The Indians stood three outs away from advancing to Saturday’s sectional final against either Antioch or Wauconda, but Prairie Ridge (27-10) staged a dramatic rally in the top of the seventh.

Senior shortstop Anna Patras (2 for 4) doubled on a two-out, 2-2 pitch from Simons, driving in Danielle Samuels and Lexi Wachman to knot the score at 2.

“I was a little mad at myself there,” said Simons, who struck out six and scattered seven hits, “but I knew my defense was there and they’d back me up.”

“We thought about putting Patras on, but then you have to worry about [cleanup hitter Lauren] Seegers,” Marengo coach Dwain Nance said. “Which one do you want to pitch to?”

Simons took Seegers down swinging to end the inning.

When Karsten’s foot touched home plate to end the game, Prairie Ridge’s players slowly walked off the field.

It marked the end of an era for coach Mike Buck, who had had many of these seniors since they were freshmen.

“This was an outstanding group of kids,” Buck said. “I’m pleased with the season. Would we like to be playing Saturday? Absolutely. But we’re not, and we battled back and gave them all we had.”