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Huntley savors first regional title since 2009

DeKALB - There's nothing quite like sweet revenge and Huntley finally got a little taste after dishing out some payback against a long time nemesis.

The past two seasons, the Red Raiders have been ousted from the playoffs by DeKalb, but top-seeded Huntley (24-8) returned the favor in Saturday's Class 4A regional championship game with a 4-3 com from behind win over the host Barbs.

The Raiders trailed 3-1 at one point, but Megan Baczewski tied the game at 3-3 with a solo home run in the sixth inning. Megan Larson then won it with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning off DeKalb junior Morgan Newport, who is committed to Illinois.

It's the first regional title for Huntley since 2009 and sends the Red Raiders back to DeKalb on Wednesday for a 4:30 p.m. sectional semifinal against the winner of Monday's Hononegah regional final between the host Indians and Machesney Park Harlem. Huntley swept Hononegah in a doubleheader on April 11 but did not play Harlem this season. The sectional begins Tuesday when Barrington takes on McHenry. Huntley beat Barrington 3-1 on April 6 and split its Fox Valley Conference Valley Division games against McHenry this season.

"We knew facing a pitcher like (Newport) we weren't going to get many opportunities," said Huntley coach Mark Petryniec. "We just kept telling the girls don't get frustrated against her and that we are going to get our chance. And sure enough when we did we were ready and took advantage of it. It's a great feeling to finally bring some hardware home again."

The Raiders loaded the bases against Newport with nobody out in the seventh inning. It all started with No. 9 hitter Jessica Knutsen getting hit by a pitch. Tiffany Giese followed with a bunt single. Jessica Shields then walked to load the bases. Larson then delivered the game-winner on the first pitch with a hard hit grounder on the right side past a drawn in infield.

"I was just trying to do situational hitting by getting it to the right side," said Larson. "I got a good pitch to pull and turned on it. We felt all along we could get to her and get back in the game."

Baczewski's game-tying homer over the right-center field fence came with one out in the sixth. It was her fifth long ball of the season.

"I got a pitch right down the middle and I took advantage of it," said Baczewski. "We just weren't going to give up. We talked as a team about how hard we have worked to get this far and we just kept working at it today."

Giese (13-5), a freshman, went the distance in the circle to pick up the win. She gave up 6 hits while striking out 2 and walking one along with two hit batters. However, after a rocky start Giese settled down to retire 11 of the final 13 batters she faced.

"I knew my defense had my back and I had confidence our offense would come around," said Giese. "So I just I had to keep hitting my spots and keep our team in the game."

Giese added an RBI single in the fourth for the Raiders' second run of the game. Huntley's first run came in the second when Baczewski had a one-out single and later scored on a wild pitch.

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