Kaneland ready for tough test from Marengo
Kaneland's road to the state softball tournament has been filled with timely hitting and outstanding pitching and defense.
Perhaps the only thing missing has been drama. Kaneland's five wins have come by scores of 10-0, 3-0, 11-5, 12-0 and 4-0.
The tension figures to be racketed up a notch or two at 10 a.m. Friday when Kaneland (24-8) squares off with star pitcher Mariah Dionne and Marengo (34-6) in the first Class 3A state semifinal at East Side Centre in East Peoria.
It should be clearly Kaneland's toughest test to date in the 3A playoffs. Dionne improved to 25-3 on Tuesday when she struck out 10 to beat Wauconda 3-2 in the Evanston supersectional.
"I've played against her in travel ball and she's a very talented pitcher," Kaneland third baseman Meg Cohrs said. "She throws hard so we will have to choke up and get the ball in play. But then she throws a rise too that we have to lay off."
The winner plays either Washington (27-10) or Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (34-6) for the state championship at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The loser plays for third place at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Cohrs has been a big part of Kaneland's attack this year in the cleanup spot, leading the Knights with 41 RBI, 10 home runs and 10 triples while hitting .451 with 1.010 slugging percentage. She also played flawless third base Monday in Kaneland's supersectional win over Nazareth.
The only other time Kaneland has reached the state tournament came in 2000 when the Knights lost to Pinckneyville in the Class A quarterfinals.
"It's been crazy," Cohrs said. "We've played really well and even with errors we pick ourselves up. It's been unreal.
"We've had little goals, conference and regionals, but it's (state) always been in the back our heads. We really wanted to go this year and here we are."
The only hitter as hot as Cohrs in Kaneland's lineup is the player who bats right in front of her, senior catcher Paige Kuefler. She takes a .486 average with 7 home runs, 12 doubles, 37 runs scored, 39 RBI, an .832 slugging percentage and 1.340 OPS into Friday's game.
"We need to come out and keep our bats going, keep our defense up," Kuefler said.
Other regulars for Kaneland include leadoff hitter Rachel Goress in center field, Aly Jesionowski, shortstop and No. 5 hitter Morgan Weber, Morgan Sikon at second base, Mary Clausen, Courtney Davis and freshman first baseman Hannah Theobald.
First-year coach Peter Goff is just trying to keep the pressure off his hitters.
"They look down at me (coaching third base) and all I do is smile," Goff said. "Because they put so much pressure on themselves. I'll say, 'Hey, relax.' One of my friends said, 'Don't squeeze the bat so tight. Relax.' That's what I tell them."
Kaneland will be facing a true challenge in Dionne. In addition to the Kuefler-Cohrs combo, Goress is hitting .351 with 35 runs, Weber has 6 home runs and 26 RBI, Sikon carries a .341 average and Clausen is hitting .315 with 6 doubles.
"We are going to face a buzz saw," Goff said.
Good thing for the Knights they can counter with an ace of their own in senior Angie Morrow. She has shut out 4 of Kaneland's 5 opponents in the postseason, allowing just 3 earned runs in 32 innings with 50 strikeouts. She is 17-2 with a 1.20 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 122 innings in her last year of high school softball before heading to Wisconsin.
One thing is for sure with the Knights. They aren't happy just to be at state.
"I never like to say you have nothing to lose, everything to gain," Goff said. "No. We want to go and try to win. That's what we are looking to do.
"We talked about goals at the beginning of the year. Our goal is to be the best student-athlete you can be. You get into conference, we want to win conference, be undefeated. They did that. Now we have to fight to get to June because if you do that it means we won a regional. Now they won sectional, won supersectional and they are going to state. That has always been their goal. Now I'm sure they want to win it."