Girls Softball

Rock Falls senior Katie Thatcher fought back from injury and two knee surgeries to make her dream of playing Division I softball come true, as she will sign a National Letter of Intent to play softball at the University of Louisville on Wednesday afternoon.

Here is the 2022 Sauk Valley Media All-Area Softball Team, along with the season's final stats leaderboard.

After breaking six school records and finishing in the top two in the area in eight offensive categories, Dixon senior shortstop/pitcher Sam Tourtillott is the 2022 Sauk Valley Media Softball Player of the Year.

Forreston coach Kim Snider is SVM's 2022 Softball Coach of the Year after leading the Cardinals to the state finals for the first time in school history.

Rock Falls native Jakob Junis will miss the next 4 to 6 weeks of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in his last start for the San Francisco Giants last Friday.

Mariah Hobson wears her emotions and her way of life on her sleeve. A tattoo etched on her right forearm - “Trust the process” - tells her inner thoughts on life and on the soccer field.

Newark four-sport athlete KJ Friestad finishes up amazing prep career. She was a main contributor and leader for the volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field teams all four years for the Norsemen.

Rock Falls native Jake Junis had another stellar start Sunday for the San Francisco Giants, giving up just one run and two hits in a season-high six innings and notching the win in a 5-1 victory over the Miami Marlins.

After winning its last three games with dramatic walk-off hits in the final inning, the Forreston softball team came up short in its first trip to the Class 1A state finals on Friday in Peoria, falling 4-0 to Casey-Westfield at the Louisville Slugger Complex.

In a spring filled with so much craziness, was there any doubt that it would have a wacky ending?

Rock Falls native Jake Junis continued his strong season for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, while several area conferences announced their postseason all-conference teams within the past week.

The Forreston softball team won on a walk-off hit for the third straight game, punching its ticket to state for the first time on Ella Ingram's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to top West Central 6-5 on Monday in the 1A Sterling Supersectional.

It was the third game in a row with a walk-off hit for Forreston.

Sterling senior Elizabeth Palumbo singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday afternoon to send the Golden Warriors to a 7-6 victory over Dixon in the Class 3A Sterling Regional final.

Breanna Kloster’s walk-off two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Forreston softball team into the Class 1A Elite Eight on Saturday, as the Cardinals won the South Beloit Sectional final 8-7 over Dakota.