Softball Recap: Elmwood Park Takes a Loss

Elmwood Park had lost three straight at home, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 6-16 to make it four. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the DePaul College Prep Rams. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Rams apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2024.

Leilani Mendez

Batters Struck Out

05/09/25 vs DePaul College Prep	6
05/08/25 vs West Aurora	7
05/06/25 @ Glenbard South	6
05/03/25 vs Palatine	6
05/03/25 vs Glenbrook South	7
+ 6 more games

Leilani Mendez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Elmwood Park saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Abigail Jarosz, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

As for DePaul College Prep, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-18 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games.

On DePaul College Prep's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Gracie Parlier gave up just two earned runs on three hits and racked up 12 Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lauren Steele, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Grace Balzarini was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Looking ahead, Elmwood Park will welcome Glenbrook North at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Spartans will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last. As for DePaul College Prep, they will venture away from home to face off against Loyola Academy at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.