Richmond-Burton defeats Marengo, takes control of Kishwaukee River Conference race

RICHMOND – Not only did Richmond-Burton play spoiler Monday, the Rockets set themselves up for a potential special finish of their own.

Behind a two-hitter from Iowa State commit Hailey Holtz, Richmond-Burton prevented Marengo from winning the Kishwaukee River Conference outright with a 10-0, six-inning victory. Now it’s the Rockets who are in control of the race with two games left.

“We were aggressive,” said sophomore second baseman Gracie Johnson, who drove in two runs in a six-run sixth that sealed the win. “[Jocelyn Hird] got us started and we just kept going. Kept the energy up.”

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Richmond-Burton's Hailey Holtz throws a pitch during a Kishwaukee River Conference softball game against Marengo on Monday, May 12, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School in Richmond. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

Richmond-Burton (19-8-1, 9-3) and Marengo (22-9, 10-3) have the same number of losses in KRC play, but the Rockets own the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.

Richmond-Burton plays at Plano Tuesday and hosts Harvard Wednesday. Marengo hosts Sandwich in its final KRC game Tuesday.

Harvard and Woodstock North both have four losses and mathematically can also figure in the mix for a conference championship.

Rockets coach Tylar Stanton said his players were ready to go Monday. He usually can get a good feel for how his team will perform on the field by the conversations had throughout the school day. But Stanton stayed home Monday to take care of a sick daughter.

“We’ve had so many run-ins with these guys,” Stanton said. “The last time when we got off the bus, I could feel it. Today, it was just a sense of calm. I wasn’t in school, so I didn’t get to see the girls.

“We showed up and I could see it in our pregame at-bats, our swings and the way we took infield. We expected to come out and play really well.”

Holtz, who has more than 800 career strikeouts, allowed two hits in the shutout. Only two more batters reached base via a walk and a fielder’s choice. The senior finished with six strikeouts, throwing 52 of 75 pitches for strikes. In the rivals’ first meeting April 22, Holtz struck out 10 in a 5-2 victory, her only two mistakes a pair of solo homers.

Gabby Gieseke and Ari Rodriguez had the only two hits against Holtz Monday, both singles.

“Nothing going offensively right from the get-go, defense really let us down,” said Marengo coach Dwain Nance, whose team made two errors in the first inning. “Richmond played really good defense and Hailey pitched really well. One through nine, they produced offensively. [Holtz’s] up pitches beat us pretty good today. We weren’t disciplined enough.

“Now we have win tomorrow and pray and hope for it to happen [to win conference].”

The Rockets’ No. 7, 8, and 9 hitters – Johnson, junior left fielder Ellie Smith and sophomore shortstop Hird – combined for five RBIs and five runs scored.

Hird (2 for 2, two doubles, three RBIs) reached base all four times, including a two-run double in the sixth. In the final inning, the Rockets sent 10 to the plate and had five hits, also reaching base on two walks. Senior Gabby Hird delivered the walk-off RBI single.

“It’s exciting,” Jocelyn Hird said of winning a possible KRC title. “I think we all just went up there with the same mindset. We all just wanted to get a hit, keep it going.”

Madison Kunzer (3 for 4) had two runs scored and drove in one, Smith (2 for 4) scored three runs and Rebecca Lanz (2 for 4), Emerson Herrick and Holtz drove in a run apiece.

Johnson is working her way back from knee surgery that prevented her from playing varsity last season as a freshman. She underwent MPFL (medial patellofemoral ligament) reconstruction surgery, but still experiences pain in her knees and had a setback after getting an infection.

Johnson, a switch-hitter, said she learned to hit left-handed this year because it’s less painful on her knees.

“It was rough,” Johnson said of the knee surgery and infection. “But I had a year to recover from both knees. I’ve been doing more lefty slapping now, but I’m a natural righty.”

Marengo has won the past two KRC titles, while R-B won the previous three in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Holtz is an option to start the final two games for the Rockets.

“She wants it. It used to be, ‘Hey coach, am I pitching today?” And now it’s, ‘Give me the ball,’ " Stanton said. “It’s that demeanor that I always talk about. Simple example today, she’s on second base, we’re up nine, and she doesn’t want a pinch-runner.

“When she’s in her mode and the rest of the defense follows suit, we’re a very tough team to beat.”