Kaneland 3, Rosary 0

It was 62 minutes of pitching dominance.

But Mallory Huml and her Kaneland teammates solved Kylie Schalz in the end.

Schalz, the Rosary ace, recorded all but two of her 18 outs with strikeouts, but Huml was even stingier.

The Knights' right-hander had a perfect game end in the top of the sixth inning, but it proved to be the lone blemish on the idyllic afternoon in Aurora on Wednesday afternoon.

Kaneland used a pair of climatic two-out hits to turn back the Royals 3-0 in semifinal action of the Class 3A Rosary softball regional.

The Knights improved to 23-6 on the season and earned a championship rematch against No. 1 Burlington Central, the top-ranked program in the Daily Herald coverage area with a gaudy 31-1 record.

Rosary, the third seed, ended its year at 17-13.

Huml employed a changeup with devastating effect, mowing down the first 15 batters she faced.

"It definitely got them all leaning forward," said Huml, who improved to 17-3 on the season. "I definitely feel that this is one of my best games."

Schalz, meanwhile, matched the Knights' off-speed brilliance with a series of fastballs and riseballs that sent the vast majority of Kaneland players making a right turn back to the dugout.

Over the course of the first four innings, Schalz had nothing but strikeouts to keep Rosary competitive.

Unfortunately for the Royals, the Knights' execution paid dividends in the bottom of the fourth.

Maggie Yagen had a leadoff bunt single and later swiped second.

Erica Kendrick hit a chopper up the middle that split the second baseman and shortstop, enabling Yagen to score the only run Kaneland would need.

In the Knights' fifth, Yagen came to the plate again with runners at second and third and two outs.

"We definitely needed a hit," the Knights' standout shortstop said. "(Schalz) was pitching me inside, and I was definitely ready."

Yagen smoked a double to the farthest reaches of left field, easily allowing Huml and Sara Rose to score.

"I knew it was going to affect the perfect game, but I wanted the win more than anything," Huml said of the 2-run drive.

Sure enough, Emily Meyer found the hole between short and third for the Royals' only hit to lead off the sixth.

Huml fanned seven and walked none in recording her fifth shutout of the season.

"Mallory was phenomenal on the mound," Kaneland coach Dennis Hansen said. "(Her changeup) definitely kept them off-balance."

"They hit the ball, and we didn't," said Schalz, who ended the year at 14-7. "That's all I can really say. (Huml) was throwing off-speed the whole time. We just couldn't slow our bats down."

Kaneland finished with 6 hits, and Rosary infielders Brenda Rocha and Lauren McNally were the only Royals with assists in the game.