Madison Kunzer gets offense rolling in Richmond-Burton’s win over Johnsburg

JOHNSBURG – Richmond-Burton senior Madison Kunzer worked to all fields Tuesday, pulling a long home run that just missed hitting Johnsburg‘s scoreboard in left field in her first at-bat and delivering a two-run triple to right field in her second.

Rockets pitcher and friend Hailey Holtz said Kunzer is always bringing big energy.

“Maddie’s a beast. Every other at-bat, it feels like a home run,” said Holtz, a four-year high school teammate with Kunzer. “We’re all just sitting in the dugout waiting for her to hit an absolute nuke. That [homer] hyped us up, got us going even more.”

Kunzer added a single in her third at-bat and finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs, while Holtz came up one batter short of a no-hitter and struck out 17 in an 8-0 win over Johnsburg in their Kishwaukee River Conference game.

Kunzer has provided many clutch hits and big blasts throughout her career. Tuesday’s no-doubt homer to start the scoring in the top of the second was another key hit as the Rockets (16-6-1, 6-2) avenged a 1-0 loss to Johnsburg (8-12, 4-5) on April 8.

Richmond-Burton coach Tylar Stanton said Kunzer has done a good job attacking center and right field during a recent stretch of hot hitting.

“She’s got some of the fastest hands, one of the strongest girls on the team,” said Stanton, who has had Kunzer on varsity all four years. “She’s a big-time player. Once she solidified her swing and started putting the best part of the bat on the best part of the ball – hitting it hard – she’s jumped.

“With two strikes, she’s been very successful for us. Triple down the right-field line is great to see in any situation, and it’s something we’ve worked on countless times. It’s clicking.”

“She’s got some of the fastest hands, one of the strongest girls on the team. She’s a big-time player.”

—  Tylar Stanton, Richmond-Burton coach

Richmond-Burton broke the game open with a five-run fourth that included back-to-back RBI triples from Kunzer and Lilly Kwapniewski. Gracie Johnson and Jocelyn Hird also had RBIs in the inning.

Kunzer was happy to get the Rockets offense going Tuesday. She continues to work on hitting to all fields.

“That’s always been my weakness, hitting the outside [pitch],” said Kunzer, who will play next year at NAIA St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. “We hit live BP at practice and work outside a lot. I’ve got a hitting coach that helps me out with that, and I’ve been feeling a lot more confident with outside pitches.

“It’s got me more hyped and more confident.”

Kunzer fielded the only ball that made it to the outfield by the Skyhawks when Abri Bruns broke up Holtz’s no-hitter with two outs in the seventh with a solid single to center field.

“In the outfield, I’m like, ‘I’m not going to get anything, because all she does is strike people out,’ ” Kunzer said of Holtz. “She always does amazing; there’s no worry when she’s pitching.”

Before Bruns’ single in the seventh, the only Skyhawks’ batter to reach base against Holtz was opposing pitcher Joree Tibbs, who walked twice and also was hit by a pitch.

With KRC title aspirations, the Rockets were determined to not let the Skyhawks trip them up again.

“We let one slip a bit the last time we saw [Johnsburg], so that wasn’t an option today,” Stanton said. “[Holtz] was dialed in. We got that early start from Madison, the dugout erupted, and there was energy all the way through. Hailey is very talented. When she’s got the lead, she’s got a little bit of extra edge, which is great to see.”

Tibbs, a senior, struck out seven and walked none over seven innings for Johnsburg. She threw a complete-game shutout against R-B in their first meeting.

Johnsburg coach Katie McKay said her team’s at-bats were not competitive enough against Holtz on Tuesday.

“We were really undisciplined, and she capitalized on it,” McKay said. “She knew that she could come up and in and we’d swing at it every time. We need to do a better job of being disciplined. We take a pitch away from her, and she might start moving it, and we might put the ball in play more.”