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Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Kennedy Gengler shakes off error with winning double as Oswego tops upset-minded Yorkville. ‘Everything clicked.'
Oswego's Kennedy Gengler gets it. The junior shortstop understands she can learn from a mistake. Sometimes, however, it's wise to just let it go and move on. It works for Gengler, who's been proving in her first year on varsity that Panthers co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi has a good eye for talent. 'She does so good at practice,' Scaramuzzi said of Gengler. 'She hits good pitching well. It's one of the things that made me take note of her. She took one swing at tryouts off Jaelynn Anthony when we were throwing live and I knew then I wanted her here because she hits fast pitching well. 'You knew she was going to have competitive at-bats.' Gengler did Tuesday in a Class 4A Oswego Sectional semifinal, delivering the winning hit with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning for a 3-2 victory over conference rival Yorkville. It allowed Gengler to atone for a throwing error in the second inning that produced two unearned runs for the fourth-seeded Foxes (24-13), who almost rode a wild pitching plan to a big upset. 'I was thinking, 'I'm the right person at the right time,'' Gengler said. 'I was definitely nervous, but I knew I had to let go of my nervousness to produce a hit. I just calmed myself down and thought, 'I got it.' 'I cleared my mind and everything clicked.' The top-seeded Panthers (34-2) advance to the 4 p.m. Friday sectional final against the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Wheaton North (23-8) and Wheaton Warrenville South (21-10). Oswego's power-packed lineup struggled through five innings as Yorkville coach Jory Regnier used three pitchers multiple times, making seven pitching changes involving senior starter Peyton Levine and relievers junior Ellie Fox and freshman Bella Rosauer. 'We trust all three and they're all just a little bit different,' Regnier said of the plan devolped with pitching coach Megan Leadbetter after losing twice in the regular season to Oswego by scores of 6-2 and 5-1. 'Facing such a strong lineup, we had to give them something they hadn't seen yet. 'We were trying to keep them off balance and keep their hitters at bay and never getting into any type of rhythm.' Levine and Fox had three stints each in the circle and faced eight batters apiece. Rosauer was called on twice and pitched to 11 batters. And it nearly worked. 'Honestly, for a second there, I thought we were cooked,' said senior catcher Kiyah Chavez, the Iowa recruit who went 0-for-3. 'I'm incredibly proud of (Gengler). That's a helluva way to pick yourself up after an error. I can have an off day and the bottom of our lineup is going to pick me up. 'Hats off to their coach. I'm sure she watched a lot of film to break down which pitcher would be best against which girl in our lineup.' Scaramuzzi expected to see all three Yorkville pitchers. 'We didn't expect it to go like that, though,' she said. 'I thought our girls did a great job of making the adjustment, pitcher to pitcher.' Senior designated player Sabrina Zamora came through with an RBI double one batter before Gengler to get Oswego on the board and Anthony threw a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts. 'Sabrina and Kennedy and the bottom of our lineup coming in clutch,' Scaramuzzi said. 'That was the difference.' On top of that, Gengler also is a catcher in travel. 'Gengler is probably the strongest arm on the team,' Chavez said. 'My throwdowns are fast because I have a good transfer. Her ball gets there because it moves fast.' Both have cannon-like arms, according to Scaramuzzi. 'Kennedy, having her arm at short is a difference-maker,' Scaramuzzi said. 'She can go in the hole and still throw batters out.'
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Natalie Muellner explains rubber toy chickens hanging from Oswego's dugout. It's a win-win. ‘They keep multiplying.'
The question had to be asked, and senior outfielder Natalie Muellner provided the answer. What's up with the rubber toy chickens hanging from the chain-link fence protecting Oswego's dugout each game, home or away? Their number seems to be growing. 'The first one has a Dave & Buster's shirt on it that's orange and blue,' Muellner said. 'I said, 'Oh my gosh, it's perfect. It's our school colors.' We found it on our (spring break trip) to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and I thought it would be kind of funny to put it up there. 'We kept on getting more of them and I was like, 'We should get one for every win we get.' And they keep multiplying.' So, it's not mystery chicken, it's victory chicken. That number hit a milestone Thursday with Oswego's 5-1 Southwest Prairie Conference win at home over Yorkville. The Panthers (29-1, 13-1) tied the program record for wins in a season set last spring when they finished third in the state in Class 4A. 'It's a big one,' Oswego co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi said. 'Hopefully, there's a lot more to go.' With two regular-season games remaining — Monday at Minooka and Wednesday vs. Oswego East at home — the Panthers hold a one-game lead over Minooka (21-9 12-2) in conference. Winning pitcher Jaelynn Anthony (13-0) threw a two-hitter Thursday in hot, blustery conditions, with the wind blowing in from right field. 'That was tough,' Scaramuzzi said. 'We had at least two balls that normally would have gone out on any other day stay in. That changes the ball game because we're a long ball team. 'We had to produce at the plate in different ways.' It was an adventure for Anthony, a junior right-hander who struck out 10 but walked seven and hit two batters. Singles by senior shortstop Bella Phillips and junior third baseman Brooke Ekwinski were the only hits for the Foxes (17-10, 8-6). 'We needed that one clutch hit that would have scored a couple runs and swung momentum,' Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said. Anthony aided her cause with three singles and senior first baseman Rikka Ludvigson added a two-run single. 'I never worry when she's out there,' Scaramuzzi said of Anthony, who walked in Yorkville's lone run in the first inning without giving up a hit. 'I know she's gonna figure it out, settle in, and she did just that.' Iowa-bound senior catcher Kiyah Chavez did have an amazing streak end for Oswego, taking a called third strike from freshman reliever Isabella Rosauer in the bottom of the sixth. It's the first strikeout in nearly two full years for Chavez, the 2024 Beacon-News/Courier-News Softball Player of the Year who didn't strike out last season and had none this spring entering the game. 'Kiyah's the best hitter in the state and I'm confident in that statement,' Scaramuzzi said. But back to Muellner. The Wisconsin-Whitewater commit does much more than organize fowl play. She cracked the starting lineup midway through last season and finished hitting .327 with three home runs. The last of those provided the highlight of her career in a 2-1 state semifinal loss to St. Charles North. This spring, she's hitting .344 with three homers, four doubles and 21 RBIs. Scaramuzzi gets a kick out of the chicken collection. 'This is a silly team,' she said. 'They like to have a lot of fun, and that's kind of what just happened. This team plays its best when they're having fun.' The practice may be a little weird, Chavez agreed, but she noted there is precedence. Yorkville players took Wilbur the rally pig all the way to Peoria, earning a state runner-up finish in 2023 and still have it with them in the dugout every game. 'Oswego East had some kind of horse once, too,' Chavez said. 'It adds character to the team.'
Chicago Tribune
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Even against the wind, Purdue-bound ace pitcher Jaelynn Anthony keeps her approach at the plate. ‘Hit the ball hard.'
If spring was in the air Monday for Oswego's softball season opener at Batavia, it didn't stick around long, not with a howling wind blowing in from left field. Junior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony described the conditions succinctly. 'It's horrible,' she said. It was hard to tell from watching the hard-throwing right-hander, however. The Purdue recruit started and threw two scoreless innings for Oswego in an 18-6 nonconference win over a young Batavia team that starts three freshmen and one sophomore. Anthony had the hot hand all afternoon, much like she did late last season in leading the Panthers to the program's first trip to state and a third-place finish in Class 4A. Anthony capped a three-run first inning for Oswego (1-0) with a two-run homer in her first at bat of the season. She didn't challenge the wind, taking the ball to right field and clearing the eight-foot fence. 'That ball got out fast,' Oswego co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi said. 'It's not a bad way to start the season, that's for sure.' Anthony added an infield single in the second, leaving with an 11-0 lead after two innings and then returning to hit an RBI groundout in the seventh. 'We had practice on Saturday in the wind and worked on our hitting and defense, so we were prepared for it,' Anthony said. 'I just went up there, really, to hit the ball hard.' Senior outfielder Natalie Muellner added a double and hit a homer to almost the same spot as Anthony. She also drove in three runs. Scaramuzzi, an Oswego alum who had a strong collegiate career pitching and hitting at Missouri St. Louis, returned last season to assist coach Paul Netzel and has added responsibility this year. 'It's good to be back and part of the program,' Scaramuzzi said. 'This is a good way to set the tone for, hopefully, the rest of the season. 'We've been talking about doing all the little things right and felt they did a good job of that, playing clean defense, having quality at bats and taking the extra base when they can.' Oswego appears primed to make another extended postseason run, led by three Division I recruits. Anthony is the latest, committing last September to Purdue to join senior catcher Kiyah Chavez (Iowa) and senior third baseman/pitcher Aubriella Garza (Northern Illinois). Muellner (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and senior first baseman Rikka Ludvigson (Milwaukee School of Engineering) will also play at the next level. Senior pitchers Sabrina Zamora and Garza finished off Monday's game and senior Maddie Lohrman will also see action this season, according to Scaramuzzi. A two-run single from freshman Payton Kaefer and two-run double from freshman Sydney Stepina helped Batavia (0-1) extend the game to seven innings. Anthony finished 15-6 with a 1.96 ERA last season and hit .383 with a school single-season record of 13 home runs. She also had 39 RBIs. And Purdue turned into a perfect fit. 'I wanted to commit early because I wanted to know where I was going, plus I know colleges like to get their pitching settled early,' Anthony said. 'They reached out to me on Sept. 1. 'I was also talking to Northwestern but it didn't end up working out. I had gone to a couple camps at Purdue when I was younger with their previous coach, but I really connected with this staff.' Former assistant Magali Frezzotti, who caught for Argentina's national team for 13 years, took the Boilermakers' head coaching job in 2023. 'I've always wanted to play in the Big Ten and I like that it's fairly close, too.' Anthony said. Anthony worked in the offseason on developing a drop ball and improving her rise with Jill Waldron, her private pitching coach. 'She looks great,' Scaramucci said of Anthony. 'She's put in a ton of work in the offseason making sure her spins are tighter. She's hitting her spots better and, obviously, she can wing it too. 'She's an asset to us on both sides of the ball. She's put in a lot of work. I'm proud of her.'
