Indians hold off Raiders

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MARENGO – Megan Semro knew a two-run advantage wasn’t going to be enough for Marengo’s softball team to outlast Huntley on Saturday.

Ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Indians needed another big hit, and Semro needed to break a small slump.

The sophomore outfielder delivered with a single to left field that drove in teammate Alysa Grude, with Shea Karsten and Lauren Roudabush coming around to score when the ball was bobbled. Marengo later withstood Huntley’s seventh-inning rally for a 6-4 non-conference victory.

“It was clutch. I knew I had to get one in that situation,” Semro said. “We needed some insurance runs because we know Huntley can hit.”

The Red Raiders did get to Marengo pitcher Chloe Montgomery in the seventh, but not until she had no-hit them through four innings and helped herself at the plate.

Montgomery homered in the fourth inning for the Indians’ second run and hit a ground-rule double to left field in the fifth that drove in Semro and gave Marengo (22-7 overall) a 6-0 cushion.

Semro’s hit kept the momentum going, Marengo coach Dwain Nance said, particularly after Huntley pitcher Taylor Larson had gotten Reed Karsten to pop out to short and struck out Stephanie Cartwright with the bases loaded before Semro came to the plate.

“Thank God Megan came up when she did because those were two really big outs, our second and third hitters,” Nance said. “She did a nice job of coming up with the big hit.”

Huntley rally in the top of the seventh began when senior left fielder Meagan Flynn reached on an error with one out. Brittany Koss singled to put runners on first and second, and Tara Lycos drove in Flynn with a single up the middle, putting Huntley (13-13) on the board.

Senior third baseman Kelsey Hagan drove in Koss with a double to make it 6-2. Montgomery (17-4) got Miranda Peterson to fly out to right field, but walked Larson to load the bases.

Freshman catcher Angela Tribuzio smacked a double to center field that drove in Lycos and Hagan, but Larson was thrown out at home trying to score for the final out.

“I killed that momentum. It was my call [to send Larson home],” Huntley coach Mark Petryniec said. “I went for something, and it didn’t work out.

“At this point in the season, every game is just preparing us for a [IHSA Class 4A] regional run, and we’ll use all of these games to get ready for that.”