The Oswego Panthers are taking a road trip to square off against the Bolingbrook Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Oswego has 12 straight wins, Bolingbrook has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Oswego lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Lemont, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Wednesday's match. The Panthers put the hurt on the Lemont HS with a sharp 16-7 victory on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Jaelynn Anthony spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, Aubriella Garza and Kiyah Chavez did most of the damage at the plate: Garza went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Chavez went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI Garza has posted since back in May of 2024. Rikka Ludvigson was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Oswego kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bolingbrook came up short against Yorkville on Tuesday, falling 11-1.
Bolingbrook saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karina Choi, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Oswego's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Bolingbrook, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
Bolingbrook's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Oswego has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .493. It's a different story for Bolingbrook, though, as they've only averaged .349. Will they be able to contain Oswego's hitters?
Everything went Oswego's way against Bolingbrook in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Oswego made off with a 12-2 win. 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.
