Girls Softball

Dixon came through with a big hit in the top of the seventh, then escaped a jam in the bottom of the inning Tuesday to defeat Oregon 5-4 in a Big Northern Conference game at Oregon Park West.

Prairie Ridge faces Huntley in a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Huntley High School.

McHenry faces Huntley in a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Wednesday, April 39, 2025, at Huntley High School.

Lily Martinez and Sterling hope for a quick bounce back after falling 10-0 to Western Big 6 Conference leader Rock Island on Tuesday.

Dixon's Allie Abell had 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over Byron. Morrison's Bella Duncan threw a no-hitter against Eastland, Fulton's Chase Dykstra helped Fulton win 4-0 and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Sterling battled to an 8-7 Western Big 6 Conference win over Moline on Tuesday as Lily Martinez finished off a complete game after the matchup was delayed by lightning.

Richmond-Burton faces Marengo in a Kishwaukee River Conference softball game against on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Marengo High School.

Hall's defense helped make the difference as the Red Devils pulled away from Newman late in a 10-5 Three Rivers East Conference win on Monday.

Rock Falls sophomore softball player Zoey Silva is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after an online vote. She threw a perfect game and tossed a no-hitter this season as the team's primary pitcher.

Despite the swirling wind blowing toward home plate, Sterling and Rockridge combined for three home runs as the Rockets won the slugfest 9-4 on Wednesday.

Huntley faces Prairie Ridge during Fox Valley Conference softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake.

Backing up Zoey Silva’s perfect game with plenty of offense, Rock Falls rolled past Rockford Lutheran 13-0 for a five-inning Big Northern Conference win Thursday afternoon.

Crystal Lake Central faces Huntleyin Fox Valley Conference softball game on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at Huntley High School.

Genoa-Kingston junior Elizabeth Davis homered at Reynolds Field for the third straight season, and was also strong in the circle in the Cogs’ 7-1 victory over Dixon on Monday in a Big Northern Conference game.

A look back at the last week in sports in the Northwest Herald by photographers Gregory Shaver, and Patrick Kunzer for the Shaw Local News Network

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday, Lily Martinez ended an epic plate appearance with a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Bree Taylor as Sterling defeated Rock Island 5-4.

Johnsburg faces Marian Central in nonconference softball game on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at Bates Park in Woodstock.

Antioch faces Marengo in a nonconference softball game on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Marengo High School.

Here is a look at each Sauk Valley area softball team for the 2025 season, including top returners, key newcomers and more.

An inning after three straight bunt singles led to the tying run, Kiyrra Morris’ RBI double to left field drove in Sam Woolley with the winning run in the Princeton’s 3-2 victory over Rock Falls on Thursday afternoon at the Hinders Field Complex.

Taking advantage of aggressive at-bats and defensive miscues, Sterling rolled to a 15-0, four-inning win over Sauk Valley rival Dixon on Tuesday afternoon.

Marengo faces North Boone in a nonconference softball game on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Marengo High School.

Sterling's Braden Birdsley had a walk-off hit, Dixon baseball fell 15-1, Rockridge beat Newman, Fulton beat Morrison, Forreston won 14-12, Dixon, E-P, Bureau Valley and Oregon softball won and Rock Falls boys track & field won in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Morrison pitcher Bella Duncan had 17 strikeouts but Sterling got the home win 5-4 as Lilly Martinez had a home run and got the pitching win in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Sterling junior Lily Cantu had a three-run home run and was part of a seventh-inning rally as the Golden Warriors opened the season with a 9-8 walk-off win over Newman.

Prairie Ridge faces Richmond-Burton in a nonconference softball game on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School.

Five returning Sauk Valley softball players to watch include Dixon's Bailey Tegeler, Polo's Cheyenna Wilkins, Fulton's Reese Germann, Morrison's Bella Duncan and Milledgeville's Kendra Kingsby.

Polo High School senior Cheyenna Wilkins will be representing Team USA at a national fastpitch softball tournament in the Netherlands this weekend from Jan. 17-19.

The Sterling Junior All-Stars little league softball team is playing its first of three games at the state tournament on Saturday after winning its district title.

Following a record-setting senior season in the circle and a number of individual awards, Sterling senior Sienna Stingley is this year's Sauk Valley Media softball Player of the Year.

First-year head softball coach David Shepard is the 2024 Sauk Valley Media softball coach of the year after leading the Storm to their first regional title since 2006 this spring as a seven seed. They beat rival Princeton 6-5 in the regional title game.

Here is a look at the 2024 Sauk Valley Media all-area softball team

Sterling senior pitcher Sienna Stingley was named to the Class 3A All-State first team by the Illinois Coaches Association. Dixon, Fulton, Morrison, and Newman also had players selected.

Sterling seniors Lucas Austin and Sienna Stingley were given the Roscoe Eades Award, which recognizes two senior athletes for their athletic contributions over four years.

Huntley defeats Barrington in the Class 4A Barrington Sectional softball Championship game on Friday, May 31, 2024, at the Barrington High School.

Reese Mosolino threw a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts as Prairie Ridge edged Sterling 2-1 in Wednesday's Class 3A Sycamore Sectional semifinal. Two unearned runs were the difference.

Harvard faces Prairie Ridge in a Class 3A softball regional final game at Lions Park in Harvard on Saturday, May 25, 2024.

Richmond-Burton faces North Boone in the IHSA Softball Class 2A Sectional Championship game on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Marengo High School.

Sienna Stingley struck out 15, breaking Sterling's single-season strikeout record in the process, in another commanding performance, leading the Golden Warriors past Belvidere North 5-0 to their 12th straight regional championship.

Harvard faces Prairie Ridge in a Class 3A softball regional final game at Lions Park in Harvard on Friday, May 24, 2024. The game was postponed because of weather until Saturday.

Jessalin Johns struck out 14 and got out of bases-loaded jams in the second and seventh innings, and Newman – despite being outhit – beat Putnam County 4-1 in Saturday’s Class 1A Putnam County Regional final.

A third meeting between two rivals came down to one run Friday evening in the Class 2A Rock Falls Regional title game. In the end, Bureau Valley pulled off its second upset of the week, defeating Bureau County and Three Rivers rival Princeton 6-5 in a thriller.

Marengo faces North Boone in an IHSA Softball Class 2A Regional Championship game on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Marengo High School.

Princeton kept up the pressure all game long, and eventually it paid off Wednesday in its 2A Rock Falls Regional semifinal. The Tigresses had baserunners in all but one inning, and they finally broke through with runs in each of the final three innings to top Rock Falls 3-2.

There weren’t too many zeroes put up on the scoreboard Monday when Rock Falls hosted Oregon in a Big Northern Conference softball clash.The teams combined for 32 runs, 31 hits and 26 RBIs as the Hawks avenged a loss earlier this season with a 21-11 win in six innings.

Richmond-Burton faces Marengo in a Kishwaukee River Conference softball game on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Marengo High School.

In yet another tight game between longtime Three Rivers rivals Newman and Morrison, the Fillies answered the Comets' comeback with a clutch hit by Emery Brewer in the 10th inning to pick up a 7-5 win on Friday afternoon in Sterling.

Princeton freshman Avah Oertel had a game to remember Monday against Newman. In a 10-2 Three Rivers East win over the rival Comets, she went 2 for 2 with a pair of two-run home runs and two walks.

Huntley faces Prairie Ridge in a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Monday, April 29, 2024, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake.

Sauk Valley area softball teams have shown signs of potential in the first month-and-a-half of the season. Sterling and Fulton have emerged as top teams in the region, while Morrison and Dixon are trending upward.