Final test awaits Marengo

Marengo's Chloe Montgomery (from left), Stephanie Cartwright, Shae Karsten and Taylor Carlson celebrate after the Indians defeated Bethalto Civic Memorial, 7-0, during the IHSA Class 3A semifinals Friday at Eastside Centre in East Peoria. Marengo advances to the finals against LaSalle-Peru on Saturday. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com)

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EAST PEORIA – When the ball fell into the gap between the shortstop and the center fielder to end her no-hit bid, Chloe Montgomery shrugged her shoulders, smiled at her teammates and turned to face the next batter.

The Marengo senior softball pitcher was two outs away Friday from becoming the first in IHSA Class 3A history to throw a no-hitter in a state semifinal or final game. Montgomery would have loved to have etched her name in that record book, but what she set the Indians up to do today matters to her far more.

Marengo beat Bethalto Civic Memorial, 7-0, in a Class 3A state semifinal at the EastSide Centre to earn a berth in the state championship game at 11:30 a.m. today.

The Indians will face LaSalle-Peru and try for the school’s first state title in any sport. The Cavaliers beat Glenbard South, 7-5, in Friday’s other semifinal.

McKenzie Satterfield broke up Montgomery’s no-hitter with the seventh-inning single on a 2-2 count.

“It was a little disappointing, but I knew we had to go back out there and get the outs to win this game,” Montgomery said. “ ... I can’t wait to go out there [today] and pitch for a state championship.”

Montgomery’s gem included eight strikeouts and four walks, and Civic Memorial did not have a runner in scoring position until the seventh.

Montgomery walked junior first baseman Allison Hill with one out, then surrendered the single to Satterfield to set up the Eagles’ first threat of the game.

Still, Montgomery remained stoic. She forced the Eagles’ next two batters – Sammi Elliott and Chelsea Harmon – to ground into fielder’s choices for the final outs of the game.  

“She quieted us down and took everything away,” Civic Memorial coach Mike Eddy said. “My hat’s off to her. She did a great job.”

The Indians (32-9) didn’t commit an error behind Montgomery and jumped early on Kirkpatrick and the Eagles (30-6).

Montgomery helped herself with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first that drove in sophomore third baseman Stephanie Cartwright for a 1-0 advantage.

The Indians scored five runs in the second to put the game out of reach. Junior right fielder Reed Karsten hit a bases-loaded, two-out single to drive in senior center fielder Alysa Grude, making it 2-0. Cartwright then jacked a two-run double to score sophomore left fielder Megan Semro and senior second baseman Lauren Roudabush for a 4-0 cushion.

Karsten came home on a passed ball to put Marengo ahead, 5-0, and Montgomery knocked in Cartwright with a single to left field that made it 6-0.

Grude hit her second solo home run in as many games in the bottom of the third to give Marengo its final run.

“She put it in there, so I thought I might as well take advantage of it,” Grude said. “I wasn’t really thinking [it was a] home run again. I was more thinking maybe a base hit, but it went.”

As soon as Marengo secured its trip to the state finals with a victory against Sycamore in the Northern Illinois University Supersectional on Monday, the Indians vowed they would finish at least third this weekend.

Taking fourth in 2008 still doesn’t feel quite right, and today’s outcome won’t either, unless the Indians bring home a state title, coach Dwain Nance said.

“We’re not done,” he said. “We do have a goal, and our goal is to win the last game of the season. We do that, and we’re going to walk out of here with a state championship.”