Briana Bower and her Huntley softball teammates were up for the challenge Monday.
Bower struck out 15 and allowed only four hits as the Red Raiders defeated visiting Crystal Lake South, 10-2, in a Fox Valley Conference showdown.
Bower walked only one in improving to 17-5 and keeping Huntley (19-6, 12-0) perfect in the FVC. Meghan Ryan (2 for 4) homered, doubled and drove in two runs for the Red Raiders, who beat Brooke Kuffel. The winners received 2-for-3 efforts from Marley Reicher (double, three RBIs, two runs, three stolen bases, walk), Katie Mitchell and Alex Kiriakopoulos.
Kennedy Grippo (2 for 3) homered and doubled for South (11-6, 7-5). Alexis Pupillo was 1 for 2 with a double.
Jacobs 1, Burlington Central 0: At Algonquin, Delaney Garden (five innings) and Abbey Nesnidal (two innings) combined on a one-hitter for the Golden Eagles in FVC action.
Garden, who also had a double, struck out seven, didn’t walk a batter and issued one hit. Nesnidal struck out five.
Sarah Lynch (1 for 2, walk) drove in the game’s only run in the first inning.
Cary-Grove 11, Dundee-Crown 0 (5 inn.): At Cary, Emily Green was 3 for 3 with three RBIs for the Trojans, who won the FVC game in five innings.
Cary-Grove received two hits apiece from Rebecca Weaver (three runs), Madilynn Crick (double, RBI) and Katelyn O’Malley (three RBIs).
Dundee-Crown’s Kailyn Wiebe was 2 for 3, and Annabelle Pederson finished 2 for 2.
Weaver pitched all five innings for the Trojans, allowing five hits and one walk, while striking out four.
Woodstock 13, Harvard 3: At Harvard, CaroleAnn Goglin tallied four hits, including a homer and double, and Kiley Ryan belted a grand slam to lead the Blue Streaks in their KRC win.
Abby Weber started the scoring for the Blue Streaks with a solo homer in the first.
Ryan earned the win, allowing seven hits and three runs over six innings, striking out 12 and walking zero.
Besides Goglin, Weber, Ryan, Cassidy Ryan, Meghan Nixon and Grace Topf each racked up multiple hits for the Blue Streaks.
McHenry 16, Prairie Ridge 0 (4 inn.): At Crystal Lake, Kya Lard homered in both of her plate appearances, driving in five runs, and the Warriors won the FVC game in four innings.
Lauren Sena (2 for 4, two RBIs) also homered for McHenry. Maddie Gillund, Kiana Johnson, Nevayah Munoz (2 for 3) and Jadyn Polerecky all doubled. Emma Stolzman was 2 for 4.
Hope McHugh had the only hit for Prairie Ridge (5-8, 5-7).
BASEBALL
Richmond-Burton 7, Marengo 3: At Richmond, Hayden Christiansen went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer and solo shot to lead the Rockets to the win in KRC play.
Aidan Herrick was 3 for 4 with an RBI for Richmond-Burton (15-4, 8-2). Connor Wallace pitched 5⅔ innings in earning the win, striking out five and allowing five hits and two earned runs.
Prairie Ridge 2, McHenry 1: At Petersen Park in McHenry, Matt Porter pitched into the seventh inning, Jacob Larson recorded the final two outs, including a strikeout, and the Wolves hung on for the FVC win.
Prairie Ridge scored its two runs in the top of the sixth, before McHenry got one back in the bottom of the inning. Owen Brock (2 for 3, RBI) and Will Komar both doubled for the Wolves. Porter went 6⅓ innings, striking out 11 and walking one. He gave up three hits and one run.
McHenry starter Ricky Powell struck out eight and allowed one earned run in 5⅔ innings.
Cary-Grove 15, Dundee-Crown 3: At Carpentersville, Nathan Splitt (three RBIs) and Brett Green (double, two RBIs) were both 3 for 4 for the Trojans, who capped their scoring with a six-run sixth in the FVC game.
Jason Splitt was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Ryan Weaver finished 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
For Dundee-Crown, Matt Schuring and Trent Minaglia were both 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Jacobs 5, Burlington Central 3: At Algonquin, Tyler Jacobsen’s RBI double highlighted a two-run sixth for the Golden Eagles in FVC action.
The score was tied, 3-3, when Jacobs scored twice in the sixth. Matt Smolzer also doubled for the Golden Eagles.
Jack Gilroy was 3 for 4 for Burlington Central. Aric Beamon went 2 for 3, driving in all three of the Rockets’ runs, and Brady Gilroy contributed a double.
Huntley 8, Crystal Lake South 3: At Crystal Lake, the Red Raiders received two hits apiece from Tyler Castro (2 for 2, three runs), Brandon Hanley (2 for 4, two RBIs) and Harout Meyer (2 for 3, RBI).
Ryan Bakes (1 for 3) and Ryan Kelly (1 for 4, double) both knocked in two runs. Michael Moise pitched five shutout innings to earn the win, striking out six.
Hampshire 12, Crystal Lake Central 7: At Crystal Lake, Dominick Kooistra went 2 for 3 with five RBIs as the Whip-Purs won in FVC action.
Hampshire also got two-hit games from Daniel Rodriguez (2 for 2, four runs), Austin Leonard (2 for 3, double, RBI) and Nicholas Rodriguez (2 for 5, two RBIs). Evan Spenk was 1 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, and Lorenzo Ranallo added a double.
Marian Central 11, St. Edward 1: At Elgin, Kyle Scatena allowed one unearned run over five innings with five strikeouts for the Hurricanes in their nonconference game.
John Ahler was 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs for Marian Central. The Hurricanes also received two-hit games from Jack Hayden (2 for 4, double) and Payton Sensabaugh (2 for 2). Declan Pivnicka (1 for 3) doubled and knocked in three runs.
GIRLS SOCCER
Richmond-Burton 6, Marengo 0: At Richmond, Reese Frericks scored twice, Jordan Otto had a goal and two assists, and the Rockets stayed perfect in the KRC.
Layne Frericks added a goal and an assist. Richmond-Burton (7-1-3, 7-0) also got goals from Brianna Maldonado and Rachel Mendlik. Madison Havlicek contributed two assists. Hannah Schlibinger and Taylor Labay shared the shutout in net.
Woodstock North 8, Johnsburg 1: At Johnsburg, the Thunder built a 3-0 lead by halftime of the KRC match.
Addison Rishling scored four goals, giving her 22 on the season, and Mackenzie Rogers added a pair of goals. Kate Ward and Xihomara Escorza also had goals. Goalkeeper Hannah Fink made seven saves.
Mollie Wetzel scored for Johnsburg (5-5, 4-3).
McHenry 5, Jacobs 2: At McHenry, Gracie Gasmann had a hat trick for the Warriors, who also received goals from Ashley Wachter and Sarah Duginske in the FVC match.
Sophie Gasmann had two assists for McHenry. Mara Tores, Beca D’Agostino and Olivia Sacchitello contributed an assist each. Warriors keeper Emerson Gasmann made six saves.
WRESTLING
Marengo 45, Woodstock 15: At Marengo, the Indians won convincingly in KRC action.
Woodstock freshman Daniel Bychowski won his match, 7-5, at 113 pounds for his first varsity win.
Gavin Loiselle (285) won by a pin for the Blue Streaks.
BOYS TENNIS
Jacobs quad: At Algonquin, the host Golden Eagles edged Huntley, 3-2.
Huntley defeated Rockford Auburn, 4-1, and lost to Conant, 4-1.