Trojans in tune

Cary-Grove's Lindsay Efflandt pitches to Marengo on Monday in Cary. The Trojans won the non-conference game, 5-0. (Hollyn Johnson – hjohnson@nwherald.com)

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CARY – Monday’s regular-season finale seemed to be a perfect way for the Cary-Grove and Marengo softball teams to tune up for the postseason.

The non-conference matchup served its purpose exactly for both teams. C-G nabbed a 5-0 victory, thanks to timely hitting and dominant pitching, and the Indians saw a quality opponent before entering the do-or-die postseason.

“I saw all the intensity I hoped to see from them today,” C-G coach Tammy Olson said. “It was good for us because we haven’t seen many teams this year with so many left-handed hitters and bunters.

“ ... [The season] starts over now, and the girls did a great job finishing it out.”

C-G (27-1) begins its playoff march with an IHSA Class 4A McHenry Regional semifinal against the fourth-seeded Warriors at 4:30 p.m. today; Marengo (26-9) will play Hampshire at 4:30 p.m. today in a Class 3A Hampshire Regional semifinal.

The finish was perfect for C-G, but it didn’t sit well
with Marengo coach Dwain Nance.

The loss wasn’t necessarily troubling, but the things that led to it were.

The Trojans scored twice in the second inning when freshman Jamie Deering knocked a two-run double to the wall in center field to drive in teammates Amy Clemment – running on pitcher Lindsay Efflandt’s single – and Sarah Leudo, who had doubled.

Freshman Lisa Semro made it 5-0 in the bottom of the third with a no-out, three-run homer over the fence in center field to drive in Alexis Haley, who had led off the inning with a single, and Emma Gaulke, who had drawn a walk from Marengo pitcher Chloe Montgomery (19-6).

“I just didn’t want to get too deep in the count,” said Semro, who settled on the first offering from Montgomery. “I thought it was going to be a pop out to center field, so I was pleasantly surprised.”

Meanwhile, Marengo couldn’t answer. The Indians threatened in the first inning when Reed Karsten reached on a one-out error, Stephanie Cartwright singled, and Montgomery reached on a fielder’s choice with Karsten out at third, but Efflandt struck out Megan Semro to end the threat.

The Indians had a base runner in the second, third and fourth, and two in the fifth, but Efflandt painted the corners and kept Marengo guessing. She surrendered only four hits.

It was a well-timed wake-up call, Nance said.

“We have to give kudos to [Efflandt] because she hit her spots and kept us off balance,” he said. “We were not patient at the plate and we missed a lot of signs today. I thought Chloe really settled down and pitched well after they got those runs, but we didn’t get the hits we needed.”