Oswego senior shortstop Kennedy Gengler has seemed to have the knack for clutch hitting in the postseason, and did again Friday with two hits and an RBI, but Mundelein scored five runs in the first inning and went on to a 13-3 win in the Class 4A semifinal.

Separated by 9 years, Oswego sisters Hailey and Sophie Morland seem inseparable in softball. Hailey is in her fourth year as assistant coach while Sophie is a freshman third baseman as the Panthers return to state for the third straight year. 'It makes my heart want to explode.'

Oswego sophomore Adalynn Fugitt, who was 8-for-11 with four runs scored across three playoff wins to help lead Oswego back to state for the third straight year, is the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Marengo's Gabby Christopher was named the Kishwaukee River Conference Player of the Year and Woodstock North's Kylee Nicholson earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Here is the rest of the 2026 All-KRC softball team, as selected by coaches.

Ahlivia East was a team manager last year during Oswego's state championship run with a torn ACL from basketball. Monday she delivered a pair of two-run doubles – the first, after Barrington intentionally walked Jaelynn Anthony in front of her – to power a 7-5 supersectional win.

The Oswego girls softball team beat Barrington Monday in a Class 4A supersectional pairing at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Oswego needed four batters to score two runs Friday, and Jaelynn Anthony and her defense did the rest. The Purdue recruit struck out seven and only allowed one ball to leave the infield, as Oswego beat Plainfield East 2-0 for its third straight sectional championship.

Here are Gary Duncan's photos from the Class 4A Yorkville Sectional final between Oswego and Plainfield East.

Serena senior pitcher Cassie Walsh blasted a tie-breaking two-run homer in the top of the seventh, then retired Newark in order in the Huskers' wild 10-8 win over the Norsemen in Wednesday's Class 1A Indian Creek Sectional softball semifinal in Shabbona.

Betsy Jack drove in Adalynn Fugitt with the go-ahead run as Oswego scored two runs in the fifth to rally past Naperville Central 2-1 in a Class 4A Yorkville Sectional semifinal marked by a controversial overturned Redhawks home run.

Kaleigh Cawthon's solo homer, her sixth of the year, broke up a scoreless tie, and Plainfield East and Jocelyn Cushard went on to take the showcase of standout sophomore pitchers over Yorkville and Bella Rosauer with a 2-0 win to reach the program's first sectional final.

Here are David Toney's photos from Friday's Class 4A Oswego Regional final softball game between Oswego and Benet.

Purdue recruit Jaelynn Anthony struck out seven and also induced 12 ground ball outs, pitching Oswego past Benet 5-0 in the Class 4A Oswego Regional final to the program's third straight regional title.

Morris senior pitcher Mylie Hughes threw a no-hitter and recorded her 500th career strikeout Friday, leading her team past Plano 10-0 in six innings in the Class 3A Plano Regional final.

Madison Moore – relieved by freshman Erin Johnson in the fifth inning – came back in during the sixth and retired the last six outs of the game, as 12th-seeded Wheaton North held off a huge Oswego East comeback for an 8-7 win to advance to the regional final.

Oswego East, shut out by Oswego and Yorkville by a combined 17-0 in April, has flipped the switch in successive Wednesdays. Katie Maday singled in the tie-breaking run in the sixth and sophomore pitcher Faith Hagerty made it stand in the Wolves' 3-2 win at Yorkville.

The Dwight softball team - behind a seven-run fourth inning and the pitching of senior Madi Ely - snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 12-6 victory over host Newark on Tuesday

Yorkville's Callie Ferko walked leading off the bottom of the 12th in a game with Oswego suspended last week and scored the game-winner on Austyn Strike's grounder as the Foxes beat the Panthers 4-3 to clinch the Southwest Prairie Conference championship.