Kennedy Gengler shakes off error with winning double as Oswego tops upset-minded Yorkville. ‘Everything clicked.'
Oswego's Kennedy Gengler gets it.
The junior shortstop understands she can learn from a mistake. Sometimes, however, it's wise to just let it go and move on.
It works for Gengler, who's been proving in her first year on varsity that Panthers co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi has a good eye for talent.
'She does so good at practice,' Scaramuzzi said of Gengler. 'She hits good pitching well. It's one of the things that made me take note of her. She took one swing at tryouts off Jaelynn Anthony when we were throwing live and I knew then I wanted her here because she hits fast pitching well.
'You knew she was going to have competitive at-bats.'
Gengler did Tuesday in a Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal, delivering the winning hit with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning for a 3-2 victory over conference rival Yorkville.
It allowed Gengler to atone for a throwing error in the second inning that produced two unearned runs for the fourth-seeded Foxes (24-13), who almost rode a wild pitching plan to a big upset.
'I was thinking, 'I'm the right person at the right time,'' Gengler said. 'I was definitely nervous, but I knew I had to let go of my nervousness to produce a hit. I just calmed myself down and thought, 'I got it.'
'I cleared my mind and everything clicked.'
The top-seeded Panthers (34-2) advance to the 4 p.m. Friday sectional final against the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Wheaton North (23-8) and Wheaton Warrenville South (21-10).
Oswego's power-packed lineup struggled through five innings as Yorkville coach Jory Regnier used three pitchers multiple times, making seven pitching changes involving senior starter Peyton Levine and relievers junior Ellie Fox and freshman Bella Rosauer.
'We trust all three and they're all just a little bit different,' Regnier said of the plan devolped with pitching coach Megan Leadbetter after losing twice in the regular season to Oswego by scores of 6-2 and 5-1. 'Facing such a strong lineup, we had to give them something they hadn't seen yet.
'We were trying to keep them off balance and keep their hitters at bay and never getting into any type of rhythm.'
Levine and Fox had three stints each in the circle and faced eight batters apiece. Rosauer was called on twice and pitched to 11 batters.
And it nearly worked.
'Honestly, for a second there, I thought we were cooked,' said senior catcher Kiyah Chavez, the Iowa recruit who went 0-for-3. 'I'm incredibly proud of (Gengler). That's a helluva way to pick yourself up after an error. I can have an off day and the bottom of our lineup is going to pick me up.
'Hats off to their coach. I'm sure she watched a lot of film to break down which pitcher would be best against which girl in our lineup.'
Scaramuzzi expected to see all three Yorkville pitchers.
'We didn't expect it to go like that, though,' she said. 'I thought our girls did a great job of making the adjustment, pitcher to pitcher.'
Senior designated player Sabrina Zamora came through with an RBI double one batter before Gengler to get Oswego on the board and Anthony threw a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts.
'Sabrina and Kennedy and the bottom of our lineup coming in clutch,' Scaramuzzi said. 'That was the difference.'
On top of that, Gengler also is a catcher in travel.
'Gengler is probably the strongest arm on the team,' Chavez said. 'My throwdowns are fast because I have a good transfer. Her ball gets there because it moves fast.'
Both have cannon-like arms, according to Scaramuzzi.
'Kennedy, having her arm at short is a difference-maker,' Scaramuzzi said. 'She can go in the hole and still throw batters out.'
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Lutz had at least 30 family members in attendance for this year's Miller Invite, the seniors estimated. And all of them were sitting in the front row, wearing the same blue shirts as the players with a script Millers across the front and Lutz written across the back — except for his grandchildren, whose shirts said "Pop Pop Lutz" on the back. For Wednesday's regional, Amy Lutz, Craig's wife, gave the entire team friendship bracelets with one of her husband's favorite phrases: "Deuces, get 'em hot." (Whenever the count reached 2-2 with two outs, he would call that out as the players swiped two fingers across their temple.) Amy also gave them a large, framed photo of Lutz, asking if they would bring Craig with them to West Lafayette. "He would want more than anything to be here with us (and) I was glad that he was there for us," Emmerson said, referencing the photo which they leaned on the bench inside their dugout. "Amy is doing exactly what Lutz did. He always cared for us," Emmerson later added. "That whole family is such a blessing to our program and getting to play for him — I don't know if there's ever a program or coach that I'm going to play for that is going to be so impactful. It's unfortunate he didn't get to be with us this season, but I will never take the last three years for granted." The somber tone as the Millers head inside Harrison High School for the game's first rain delay makes it feel as if they're on the verge of being run-ruled. The players line either side of the hallway and are sitting mostly in silence until Bullard walks down the aisle and reminds them where they stand. Yes, the Raiders seized momentum with a double right before the break, but it's still only the second inning of a scoreless game. "What kind of team are we? Don't let it bother you. It happens." "You're going to get punched in the mouth. You have to respond. We just have to do it as a team," he concludes before walking outside. "We've had the curse of the rain," Duvall said the following morning. "I went back (Wednesday) night and thought about every single game we played in the rain — and we've struggled each time. So I think it was underlying thoughts of, 'Oh no, we're playing in the rain and we've struggled with that in the past.' It made us tense up." After a few minutes of silence, Grayson addresses the team, analyzing Harrison pitcher Bradi Odom and strategizing how she and her teammates should adjust. "Thanks, coach Brookie," a teammate says. Grayson, a Duke commit, is back with the Millers following a two-year hiatus and has been a perfect fit. A first team All-State honoree, she leads the team in average (.545), hits (42) and runs (35) and ranks third with 23 RBIs, while in the field, having her at shortstop has allowed everyone else to return to their natural positions. "Brookie is someone I look to when I need someone to pick me up and need encouragement," Rundle said, both responsibilities all six seniors have embraced this season. "We've taken the role of not necessarily being the type of leader who bosses people around, but picks other people up," she continued. "Each of us has been selfless this year." "Addi prays for the team before every game which helps us settle in, and of course we're always thinking of Lutz and reminding ourselves that he's here with us," Grayson added. "I think that gives us a moment to relax and say 'We're here. This is an opportunity we need to take advantage of and not be scared of the moment.'" As the rains begin letting up, Bullard re-enters and offers another pep talk before play resumes, imploring them to find their energy and asking how many games they've been down in. We're not even down, Emmerson interjects. "Yeah," Bullard continues, "you guys are acting like your dog just died." It was at this point the players immediately looked at Grayson. Unbeknownst to Bullard, her cat recently ran away and "is likely dead now" — making for an awkward, but also darkly humorous exchange that brought a bit of levity to the room. "How bad do we want it?" one of the seniors calls out as the Millers file out of the building. "We didn't come all the way up here just to lie down." Rundle kept repeating the same thing over and over to Izzy Zapp as she tracked a third-inning fly ball to right field. Trust yourself. Trust yourself. Trust yourself. No one was blaming Zapp for the second-inning double that preceded the initial rain delay and ultimately resulted in Harrison's first run. It's normally a routine play for the sophomore outfielder, but with raindrops the size of mini-marshmallows pelting her in the face, the level of difficulty was raised exponentially. "She's made how many catches out there in that exact same spot?" Grayson said. "Watching that play I was like, 'Oh, she's going to catch it,' but when there's a downpour coming at you and you're looking up — I mean, for me at least, I wouldn't be able to catch it." It can be easy for a player to get down on themselves in that situation, Rundle observed, so the seniors and coaches immediately set about picking up Zapp. "Knowing that she has her teammates behind her has really helped her throughout the season, but Izzy's definitely had a huge role in our success," she said. Trust yourself. When Harrison hit a fly ball to the exact same spot in the third, Zapp fielded it without incident, stranding a runner on second and holding the score at 1-0. "That's really us embodying Lutz," Emmerson said, recalling how Lutz would tell her a joke, then ask her to give one back to keep her spirits up during games and at practice. "That's exactly how he was. Always positive and encouraging," the Lee commit continued. "And I think missing him challenged us to fulfill that role in ways, as teammates, that we hadn't thought of before." There's a sense of confidence among the seniors as they look ahead to the final 2.5 innings of their 4A regional final vs. Harrison from the NHS parking lot Thursday morning. They understand the challenge ahead, but also recognize this type of situation can bring out the best in them, accentuating the grittiness that enabled this group to have so much success. And considering what they've already overcome this season, by no means does a 7-0 deficit with no outs in the bottom of the fifth seem insurmountable "I know he's probably listening to this interview right now, so Lutz, we all love you and we miss you. And we can't wait to keep playing for you," Rundle smiled. Noblesville's journey ended Thursday night, 24 hours after it began. The Millers escaped the fifth inning without allowing another run, but were unable to capitalize with two runners on in the sixth, then went down in order in the seventh. Final score: 7-0. Harrison (11-12) advances to face Penn in Saturday's semistate semifinal; Noblesville finishes 19-8. As they reflected upon the possible end of their season, the seniors — as they have all year — were quick to provide perspective. "Having the chance to play at regionals and having the chance to play in general is just a blessing," the Bellarmine-bound Yee said. "To be here together in this community, in this program, is something we should cherish. Win or lose, we should do what Lutz did and have a smile on our face; be positive and carry on his (legacy) and the love he had for his family and everyone around him. That's something we should all carry on together, not just in softball, but in life in general."
