Softball notes: Marengo’s AJ Pollnow adjusts to life in outfield, shows big-time power

Marengo’s AJ Pollnow earned a starting spot in left field last year and ran away with it.

Pollnow, a catcher most of her life, had little experience in the outfield but caught on rather quickly. She finished the season with only two errors while also helping lengthen a powerful Indians’ lineup, hitting .374 with eight extra-base hits, 31 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

Pollnow, now a junior, is back in left field for the 5-0 Indians, who are averaging 9.2 runs a game.

What’s a little different is the power Pollnow is showing.

Entering Monday, Pollnow leads the Northwest Herald area with five home runs after hitting four in 33 games last season. She went deep in three straight games from March 16-19 with two-homer performances against Lakes and Stillman Valley. So far, Pollnow is hitting .529 (9 for 17) with 13 RBIs and eight runs scored.

Marengo coach Dwain Nance has been a little surprised by the power his left fielder has shown, although he did say that she has showed some decent pop in practice. Still, it’s a nice development for an Indians team looking to build off their first 30-win season since 2017.

Nance said Pollnow is an easy kid to root for.

“She’s an awesome kid,” Nance said. “She’s one of our best kids in terms of highest character, always being there and always working hard. She’s the most polite kid. It’s awesome to see when a kid like her is having a ton of success because she definitely deserves it.”

Nance and assistant Rob Jasinski agreed last year that Pollnow should get an opportunity in the outfield, despite her lack of time there. Pollnow was shown the ropes by center fielder Maddy Christopher, now at NCAA Division I Morehead State.

“Coach Jasinski and I talked and agreed that AJ had done everything that we asked her to do,” Nance said. “It wouldn’t be right for us not to give her a starting position. We said, ‘You know what? She’s going to get a spot and it’s hers to lose.’ She ran away with it.”

That decision paid off for Marengo, which went 10-0 to win the Kishwaukee River Conference championship. Marengo already had an established catcher in Northwestern commit Kylee Jensen, so Pollnow had to find a new spot. Pollnow may get starts at catcher here and there this season. She already caught Marengo’s second game of the season.

Having two capable catchers is never a bad thing.

“AJ listens, she’s a really smart kid, so everything that you tell her and coach her on how to do, she does it,” Nance said. “And that’s what she’s been able to do in the outfield for us. We’re very pleased with her and what she’s become. She’s been a huge part of our success.”

Oh, so close: Hampshire junior Lily Sippel almost recorded her first high school no-hitter twice last week, firing back-to-back one-hitters in shutout wins against Belvidere and Lake Zurich.

Sippel allowed one hit, walked four and struck out eight in a 15-0, four-inning win over Belvidere. Against Lake Zurich, the only hit she gave up was a ball that hit off the Rosemont Dome ceiling and dropped safely in shallow left field. She had nine strikeouts and three walks in the 3-0 victory.

Sippel has battled injuries the past two seasons. She dealt with bicep tendonitis her freshman year and had a pinched nerve up and down her spinal cord that went into her hips last year. That didn’t stop Sippel from continuing to pitch, however.

After the near no-hitter against Lake Zurich, Whip-Purs coach Jeremy Bauer said, “In our brains, that was a no-hitter.”

Familiar face: Carly Mattson, a 2015 McHenry graduate, is Richmond-Burton’s varsity assistant after coaching the Rockets’ JV team last year. Mattson was a standout catcher for former coach John DiFrancesca’s Warriors and helped lead them to four consecutive Class 4A titles.

Mattson went on to star at Austin Peay and has brought a lot of knowledge to R-B.

The Rockets had one of the area’s most dangerous hitters the past four seasons in catcher Taylor Davison, now at Syracuse. Davison won the Kishwaukee River Conference Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023.

Sophomore Rebecca Lanz is the Rockets’ No. 1 catcher now. Mattson has helped call pitches early in games, while giving way to Lanz late in some situations.

Richmond-Burton coach Tylar Stanton has enjoyed having Mattson on board.

“Being that top star catcher herself, it’s great to have her around and show the ropes,” Stanton said. “It allows me to focus on the rest of the field. Practice everyday, I don’t have to cover infield-outfield and pitchers and catchers. She’s able to kind of hold down that area. She’s very prepared, has called multiple great games and has helped our catchers a ton already.”

Friendly competition: Richmond-Burton junior pitcher Hailey Holtz (Iowa State) and Hampshire junior shortstop Bria Riebel (South Dakota State) play on the same travel team (Iowa Premier), and there’s nothing but respect for each other.

Last week, the two faced off in a nonconference game at Lippold Park, which resulted in some light-hearted moments.

“She’s a beast,” Holtz said of Riebel. “We kind of looked at each other when she was in the [batter’s] box and made a funny face. I love her. Definitely was my toughest competition pitching against. It’s fun, but it’s also a little nerve wracking. She knows all my pitches, and she’s probably telling [her teammates] everything. But I do the same thing, it’s just how it goes.”

Riebel was 1 for 3 against Holtz. Her first at-bat was a hard groundout to shortstop. She then walked on four pitches and had a groundout to second. In her last at-bat, she ripped a ball down the third-baseline for a double. R-B went on to win 9-4.