Plainfield East is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Oswego is on a 16-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Bengals will welcome the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Plainfield East was handed a eight-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over Plainfield North.
Jocelyn Cushard
| 05/06/25 vs Plainfield North | 12 |
| 05/05/25 @ Yorkville | 10 |
| 04/30/25 @ Oswego East | 6 |
Jocelyn Cushard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Corinne Garmon was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Ashley Plzak, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Plainfield East kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Oswego faced Wheaton North in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Falcons 14-12. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Panthers, who until this game were averaging 2.48 runs allowed.
Jaelynn Anthony made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Anthony was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rikka Ludvigson, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 4-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. Kiyah Chavez was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one home run and three RBI.
Plainfield East has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Oswego, their win bumped their record up to 22-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Plainfield East hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Oswego struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Plainfield East suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Oswego in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Bengals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
