Lily Knutson’s great escape, Cara Crock’s home run send Kennedy past Linn-Mar in regional softball tournament

CEDAR RAPIDS — In a span of about five minutes Saturday, the Kennedy Cougars mustered their two biggest moments of the softball season.

Lily Knutson with her arm. Cara Crock with her bat.

Crock’s three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning gave seventh-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy a 3-0 win over Linn-Mar in a Class 5A regional semifinal at Kennedy High School.

“I really tried to have trust in myself,” Crock said. “It’s good to know your teammates support you no matter what.

“They obviously made me feel pretty good tonight.”

Like a queen. After the Cougars broke their jubilant postgame huddle, one of Coach Maddison LeClere’s kids placed a crown on Crock’s head.

“That was unreal,” LeClere said.

Kennedy (24-15) advances to Tuesday’s regional final; the Cougars will host Cedar Rapids Prairie (23-17), an 8-4 victor over No. 14 Des Moines Roosevelt.

Crock’s heroics came shortly after Lily Knutson’s great escape in the top of the seventh.

Linn-Mar (19-20) loaded the bases with no outs: Mallory Palmer walked, Hayden Koutny singled and Kaylie Alvey’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed for an error.

But Knutson struck out the next three batters, on three, four and five pitches.

“I was fairly nervous, obviously,” said Knuston (15-5), who struck out 11 and walked two in a two-hit shutout. “I had to take a lot of deep breaths. I trusted myself, and I knew the defense could make plays.

“The energy after that last (strikeout), everybody was so hyped in the dugout.”

LeClere called that moment “huge for Lily. That’s going to build her up for the next two years. Working out of a jam like that, it’s a page-turner.”

Ella Brown led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and pinch-runner Molly Gieseman advanced to second on Teagan Chrisman’s sacrifice bunt.

Dylan Amling was hit by a pitch, then Crock unloaded on a 1-0 pitch for a no-doubt homer to left-center.

“It was inside, and that’s my go-to pitch,” she said.

Linn-Mar’s Anna Kaliban (15-9) was Knutson’s equal for six innings. She set the first nine Cougars down in order, and allowed just four baserunners — all on singles — before the seventh inning.

“I told (assistant coach) Skyler (Stookey) late in the game that I hate pitchers’ duels,” LeClere said. “(Kaliban) has some great spin. She fooled us for six innings.”

Knutson led off the fourth and the sixth with singles, but her courtesy runner advanced only to second base each time. Amling and Crock had back-to-back singles with two outs in the fifth.

Linn-Mar’s Reggan Borchers walked with one out in the third inning and reached third base.

Recommended Reading

Photos: Linn-Mar vs. Kennedy in Class 5A regional softball semifinals

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 3, Linn-Mar 0

Class 5A Regional Semifinal, at C.R. Kennedy

Linn-Mar 000 000 0 — 0 2 0

C.R. Kennedy 000 000 3 — 3 5 2

One out when winning runs scored.

Anna Kaliban and Kaylie Alvey. Lily Knutson and Dylan Amling. W --Knutson (15-5) . L — Kaliban (15-9). HR — CRK: Cara Crock (4).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com