Paxton-Buckley-Loda is 1-6 against Oakwood since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Panthers will take on the Comets at 10:00 a.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It was a proper cat-fight when Paxton-Buckley-Loda faced off against Urbana on Thursday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 13-1 margin over the Tigers. Surprisingly, this marked the fifth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Meredith Foster looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She also put up three walks, which were her first of the season.
Hallee Johnson
| 04/10/25 @ Urbana | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Watseka | 4 |
| 04/05/25 vs Illinois Valley Central | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley | 2 |
| 03/31/25 @ Milford | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Villa Grove | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Hallee Johnson, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. She has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times she's played. Devani McClatchey was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Paxton-Buckley-Loda kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Oakwood, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They came out on top against Iroquois West by a score of 8-5 on Friday.
Irene Rangel was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and not a single walk). Rangel was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Gracie Hanner was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Bella Bradford, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Paxton-Buckley-Loda's record is now 3-8. As for Oakwood, their record now sits at 4-6-1.
Paxton-Buckley-Loda suffered a grim 19-2 defeat to Oakwood in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
