The softball postseason swings into action with a hotly contested matchup between the DVC champion Neuqua Valley Wildcats and the eight seed and the host Oswego East Wolves. Oswego East won a high-scoring clash between the two teams 16-11 earlier this month. The Wildcats won this same matchup in last year’s regional semis by the score of 7-4. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Wildcats get on the board first
After a scoreless first inning, Krista Waldusky leads off the top of the second by ripping a single into left field to kickstart the Neuqua offense.
Cora Dickson is up next and she drives a deep fly to center, just out of reach of the Wolves centerfielder. Courtesy runner Abby Cho heads to third as Dickson has a double.
Sydney Benedict then heads to the plate and slaps a single back up the middle for an RBI single as Cho scores to put the Wildcats in front 1-0.
The Wolves claw back and take the lead
Oswego East bats in the bottom of the third with runners on second and third with one away. Ryenne Sinta hits a sharp grounder to short. Nalia Clifford makes a nice diving stop and throws her out at first. But Olivia Owles comes in to score after singling to start the frame. The game is tied at 1-1.
Next up is Katie Silva. Neuqua pitcher Ava Drehs gets her to chop a grounder to second that Benedict bobbles initially, but she recovers and shovels the ball to Nalia Clifford covering the bag in time to end the inning without further damage.
Leading off the top of the fourth is Krista Waldusky who powers a drive into right-center field and hustles into second for a double.
After a bloop single from Cora Dickson, Jean Peske grounds a ball right back to pitcher Addy Dunn who throws to first for the out. Abby Cho breaks for home, but first baseman Allie Gatz makes a perfect throw to Ryenne Sinta who tags Cho out at the plate to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the fifth following a one-out single from Danielle Stone and a stolen base. Sinta singles back up the middle allowing Stone to scamper home from second to put Oswego East in front 2-1.
Waldusky and Dickson put Neuqua back in front
Nalia Clifford comes up first in the top of the sixth and delivers an infield single to the left side to put the tying run on base.
Following a sacrifice bunt and a single from Waldusky, Cora Dickson singles into centerfield to score Clifford. Abby Cho heads into third as the game is tied once again at 2-2.
With two outs in the inning and Sydney Benedict at the plate, Dunn throws a wild pitch as Cho comes home to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
After Drehs sends the Wolves down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Tegan Spellerberg blasts a line drive into left-center field for a one-out double.
The Wildcat bats add insurance runs
Nalia Clifford follows with an infield single and Esha Agrawal walks, bringing up Krista Waldusky with the bases loaded. Already 3 for 3 in the game, the Wildcat catcher makes it 4 for 4 with a line drive single into left to score Spellerberg that puts Neuqua in front 4-2.
Cora Dickson steps to the plate with the bases still loaded. She rips a grounder to third where Carleigh Gregory makes a nice snag, but her throw to the plate hits Nalia Clifford in the helmet and deflects away. Clifford and Agrawal score some key insurance runs. The Wildcats add one more and take a 7-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
After singles from Olivia Owles and Katie Maday, Danielle Stone adds her third hit of the game with a double to the wall in left-center. Owles and Maday come in to score and suddenly it’s a 7-4 game with still nobody out.
Ava Drehs shuts down the Wolves to secure the Neuqua win
After a meeting on the mound, Ava Drehs settles down and strikes out the next three Wolves batters in order to secure the victory. Seven strikeouts for the Creighton commit as Neuqua Valley softball defeats Oswego East 7-4 for the second straight season. The Wildcats will face the number one seed Oswego in the regional championship on Friday afternoon.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
