Softball: Marengo tops Oregon to win Class 2A regional championship

OREGON – Marengo pitcher Lilly Kunzer struck out the side in the top of the first inning and led off the bottom half with a solid single to center field.

It was the start of a big game for the Indians junior, who struck out 13 and posted hits in her first three at-bats.

Backed by nine hits from her offense, Kunzer and top-seeded Marengo went on to beat No. 6-seeded Oregon 8-3 on Saturday in a Class 2A Oregon Regional championship.

The Indians (29-3) have now won 15 regional titles in the past 16 seasons.

Marengo can reach 30 wins for the first time since 2017 – when the Indians finished 35-6 and won the Class 3A state championship – with a win against Johnsburg in a Stillman Valley Sectional at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Kunzer said the entire team was fired up Saturday.

“I came out here with a lot of energy, and it honestly felt like home field advantage,” said Kunzer, who went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. “I came out with a lot of fire. You just want to go after every batter. Every pitch is a new pitch. Anything can happen.”

With the Indians up 7-0, Oregon’s Ella Dannhorn led off the top of the sixth with a solo homer to center field. Abi Fletcher later came up with a two-run single to drive in Gracen Pitts and Laila Anderson with two outs, but that was all of the damage against Kunzer.

“I came out with a lot of fire. You just want to go after every batter.”

—  Lilly Kunzer, Marengo junior

Kunzer ended up allowing three runs, all in the sixth, on six hits. She had 13 strikeouts and walked two.

After Emily White added an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI double to score pinch-runner Elizabeth White, Kunzer retired the Hawks 1-2-3 in the seventh with catcher Kylee Jensen making a nice grab in foul territory for the last out.

Kunzer has provided the Indians with a big arm and big bat all year.

She took over as Marengo’s primary leadoff hitter after center fielder Maddy Christopher suffered an injury to her hand. Christopher is still able to pinch-run and scored two runs after Kunzer picked up hits in the first and third innings on Saturday.

“She hasn’t let us down at all since we put her there” Indians assistant coach Rob Jasinski said of Kunzer batting leadoff. “She can hit a ground ball, she can hit a fly ball, and she can hit home runs, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Oregon coach Nate Rogers said his team’s plan was drive up the pitch count against Kunzer, who threw 116 pitches (80 for strikes).

“She was attacking early, going right at us, so we made it a goal to get after her early in the count,” Rogers said. “I think she was the best pitcher we faced all year. I thought we did get to her a little bit late but we just gave up too many.”

Marengo scored single runs in the first and third innings and scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth, with Kunzer providing a two-run single to score Marissa Young and AJ Pollnow (2 for 3, RBI). In the fifth, senior right fielder Mia Lulinski pounded a no-doubt, two-run homer over the center field fence to score Gabby Christopher, who doubled, for a 7-0 lead.

Lulinski’s bat recently broke, but she continues to use it over the Easton GHOST bats that many of her teammates opt for.

“My bat’s a little dead inside, so that one felt nice,” Lulinski said. “It’s my good luck charm. I’ve had it since eighth grade.”

Marengo will try and win its first sectional title since 2019. The Indians dropped their sectional semifinal last year to Stillman Valley 6-5.

“We’re so excited to keep playing,” Kunzer said. “We have big goals for this season. Last year at this point, we kind of let ourselves down, so I think we’re all motivated.”

Marengo coach Dwain Nance is excited to see where his team can go from here.

“I know there are other teams and other players that work hard, but these kids work extremely hard, and we demand a lot of out them,” Nance said. “They did a great job today of putting themselves in a position to go out and win a regional. We’re super excited about it.”