Softball Game Preview: Mater Dei Knights vs. O'Fallon Panthers

The Mater Dei Knights are taking a road trip to square off against the O'Fallon Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. O'Fallon took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Mater Dei, who comes in off a win.

While Knights fans will have to keep waiting for their team to come home, they shouldn't be too worried about the road trip considering the result of Monday's season opener. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over Okawville on Monday. The victory continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Rockets: they've now won six in a row.

Taylor Robert made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. What's more, she posted three strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

Lynn Shirley

Runs Batted In (Career)

03/24/25 @ Okawville	4
05/10/24 @ Father McGivney Catholic	3
04/22/24 @ Centralia	2
04/06/24 @ St. Anthony	2
03/28/24 vs Greenville	2

In other batting news, Lynn Shirley and Sophie Roelfs did most of the damage at the plate: Shirley went 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI, while Roelfs scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Those four RBI gave Shirley a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Carissa Rich, who went 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI.

Mater Dei always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Okawville only posted an OBP of .321.

Meanwhile, O'Fallon was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Freeburg.

Megan Shull made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Lilli Coleman, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.

Mater Dei beat O'Fallon 10-5 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mater Dei since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.