Softball Recap: DeKalb Comes Up Short

DeKalb had lost 11 straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 6-16-1 to make it 12. They lost 12-0 to the Leo Lions. The Barons were not able to make up for their loss to the Lions from their previous meeting back in May of 2025.

As for Leo, the victory (which was their 11th in a row) raised their record to 20-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games.

For Leo's part, Leah Shappell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Shappell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Naomi Johnson was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Luci Schott, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

Looking ahead, DeKalb will host Lakeland at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Leo will be paying especially close attention to the Barons' contest: after the Barons face off against the Lakers, they'll take on Leo again at 12:00 p.m. on Monday.