Softball: 5 things to know ahead of Sycamore, Kaneland’s sectional semifinal showdown

Rivals Sycamore and Kaneland battle at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in a Class 3A Belvidere North Sectional semifinal for a chance at a sectional championship.

The foes split their season series, adding even more tension to a high-stakes game.

Here are five things to know about Sycamore (27-10) vs. Kaneland (17-16) and their rivalry heading into the sectional game.

The teams haven’t met a lot in the postseason

Given both teams have a history of long playoff runs, coupled with the geographical closeness, it would seem like they’ve probably met a lot in the postseason.

But in reality, they haven’t, at least not recently. Sycamore made its run to the state title in 2019 without facing the Knights. The last time the teams met in the postseason was 2018 during Kaneland’s run to the state tournament, at which the Knights took second.

In that 2018 meeting in the Class 3A Rosary Regional final, the Knights were 10-0 winners over the Spartans. Until that point, they hadn’t met in the postseason since 2011, with Sycamore winning 2-1 in the first round of the Kaneland regional in a year the Spartans would reach a supersectional.

Kaneland has dominated the series until this season

When the Spartans beat the Knights on April 28 it was their first win in the series since 2018, with the Spartans sweeping the two regular-season games before the playoff loss.

Before that, the Spartans hadn’t beaten Kaneland since that 2011 postseason meeting.

Sycamore won the matchup this season behind a home run by Brooklynn Snodgrass as part of a 2-for-4 day, plus a strong showing from pitcher Alyssa Wilkerson who struck out 11. Kaneland avenged that loss May 17, winning 3-2 in eight innings. Brynn Woods singled to start the eighth, courtesy runner Sammy Dunne advanced to third and a sac fly by Katie Congoran and scored the winning run off Addison Dierschow, who pitched the complete game.

Sycamore has rolled in two playoff games

At their home regional, the Spartans beat Dixon and Freeport by a combined 29-3. They’ve won five straight, with their last loss coming to the Knights.

Wilkerson pitched four innings in both games, allowing a total of three runs, one of which was earned, while striking out 13.

Both games ended on walkoff hits, Snodgrass homered against Dixon in the bottom of the fourth of a 16-0 win, and Dierschow singled in the bottom of the sixth to give Sycamore a 13-3 win.

Kaneland reached the sectional on a nailbiter

The Knights jumped to a 5-0 lead in their Burlington Central regional opener, then cruised to a 6-1 win over the host Rockets.

But against Harvard, Woods and Tallulah Eichholz were locked in a pitchers’ duel, with the Knights coming out on top 1-0 despite striking out 18 times. Gabby Gonzalez got the first hit of the game in the seventh and came around to score on a wild pitch.

Woods was dominant as well in the win, allowing only one hit while striking out 15.

18th-year coach vs. 1st-year coach

Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter has been at the helm of the Spartans since 2005 and has led the Spartans to six regional titles, two sectional crowns and a state championship. She also crossed the 300 career win mark earlier this season, according to the IHSA website.

Kaneland coach Madison Mikos is a St. Charles North graduate and was on their 2015 sectional championship team.