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Plano Today
By the People, for the People
Ellie White shoulders load, Marengo tops Johnsburg
Marengo's ace pitcher strikes out 10 in 16-5 win over Johnsburg
Apr. 15, 2026 at 1:51am
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Marengo's ace pitcher Ellie White delivers a strike, her heavy workload a key factor in her team's conference title defense.Plano TodayMarengo senior Ellie White struck out 10 batters as the Indians defeated Johnsburg 16-5 in a Kishwaukee River Conference softball game. With last year's ace graduated, White has shouldered the majority of the pitching duties for Marengo this season, throwing 77⅓ of the team's 84 innings so far.
Why it matters
Marengo has won the conference title three years in a row, and a lot of the team's success this season rests on the right arm of White, who doesn't plan to play softball beyond high school. The Indians started the season 0-4 but have since evened their record at 7-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
The details
White shook off a four-run top of the third inning, surrendering home runs to Johnsburg's Kimmy Whitlock and Carlie Majercik, and finished with 10 strikeouts. Along with her pitching, White also helped her own cause at the plate, reaching base in her first three plate appearances, which included a double, and scoring three times. Marengo came out with a 10-run first inning, sending 16 to the plate against Johnsburg, and added five runs in the second.
- On Tuesday, White struck out 10 as the Indians beat Johnsburg 16-5.
- White was coming off a 5-0 win over Plano on Monday, where she allowed four hits, struck out nine and again walked none in seven innings.
The players
Ellie White
A senior pitcher for the Marengo Indians softball team who has thrown 77⅓ of her team's 84 innings so far this season, after last year's ace graduated.
Kimmy Whitlock
A Johnsburg player who hit a two-run home run in the third inning against Marengo.
Carlie Majercik
A Johnsburg player who hit a home run in the third inning against Marengo.
Dwain Nance
The head coach of the Marengo Indians softball team.
John Rodgers
The first-year head coach of the Johnsburg softball team.
What they’re saying
“I get sore, but just got to push through it. It's not too bad. There's kind of no other option, so you got to do what you got to do.”
— Ellie White, Marengo pitcher
“I was pretty nervous before the season. I was behind Jozsa (Christiansen) last year. She kind of taught me. She kind of plays in my head every day. Just trying to be a leader and staying positive. We've had a couple of rough games this season and I'm just trying not to get down on myself.”
— Ellie White, Marengo pitcher
“I think Ellie White's been doing a really good job all year. She'll probably break the record of innings pitched for us. There's times where she labors because she throws a few too many balls. But when she's really on and hitting those spots, a lot of the time she gets one-, two-, three-pitch outs, and that's a really big key. I think there's only been a couple of games where she's been over 100 pitches. A lot of games she's in the 90s, and I do look at that number quite a bit.”
— Dwain Nance, Marengo head coach
“We do have some really good hitters. They take a lot of pride in their at-bats. We never really take any at-bats off. ... It was just unfortunate that, today, you get into a spot like this and suddenly the game's a little out of hand and you're trying to come back. Sometimes you just run out of time.”
— John Rodgers, Johnsburg head coach
“She's not super experienced but she's improved a lot. She's been very dependable being around the plate. She has a lot of the pitches you wouldn't expect from somebody who hasn't pitched that much.”
— John Rodgers, Johnsburg head coach
What’s next
Marengo will look to continue its conference title defense as the season progresses, while Johnsburg will aim to bounce back from the lopsided loss.
The takeaway
This game highlights the heavy workload shouldered by Marengo's ace pitcher Ellie White, who has been vital to the team's success this season after the graduation of last year's top pitcher. White's performance, both in the circle and at the plate, was crucial in leading the Indians to victory over Johnsburg.
