The Oswego Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Naperville Central Redhawks at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Oswego is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Oswego is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Downers Grove South with a sharp 19-4 win on Thursday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Panthers with their most commanding win of the season.
Jaelynn Anthony made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That double was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Oswego got a massive performance out of Leah McKenzie, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that McKenzie launched this season. Aubriella Garza was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Oswego always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .641. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Naperville Central earned a 12-8 victory over Plainfield Central on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Redhawks.
Like Oswego, Naperville Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Avery Miller. On the mound, she pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Miller was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Naperville Central let Cali Lenz and Jamie Saran run wild. Lenz scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Saran went 2-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Silvers, who scored two runs while going 1-for-4.
Oswego pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Naperville Central, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Oswego's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Naperville Central, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Oswego continue to outrun the ball?
Oswego skirted past Naperville Central 7-6 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
