Fiery, confident Reese Mosolino pitches undefeated Prairie Ridge past Huntley

CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge's Reese Mosolino always could bring the heat.

As a freshman two years ago, the Wolves pitcher was well known in softball circles for her intimidating stature and hard throwing. But Prairie Ridge coach Scott Busam has seen Mosolino mature into a more menacing presence – and not because of her fiery fastball.

“Freshman year it was the first time she was going against 17-, 18-year-old girls,” Busam said of the 6-foot-1 right-hander. “She came in and everyone talked about velocity, velocity, velocity.

“Last year, I thought she really started to figure out her control. This year, she’s been able to manipulate her speed. She can upset a batter’s time with spin and speed, and that makes her particularly dangerous.”

Mosolino’s improved arsenal was on full display Monday.

In her second start of the season since returning from a broken left ankle, the Wolves junior struck out nine Huntley batters in a 3-2 Fox Valley Conference victory.

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Prairie Ridge's Ady Kiddy tags out Huntley's Lana Hobday during a rundown between third and second bases during Fox Valley Conference softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

The Red Raiders (7-7, 2-2 FVC) put the tying run on second base with one out in the top of the seventh inning, but Mosolino reached back and retired the next two batters on five pitches with a strikeout and groundout to shortstop Ady Kiddy as the Wolves (5-0-1, 2-0) stayed unbeaten.

Batters had a tough time timing up Mosolino as she needed only 80 pitches (62 for strikes) to make quick work of the Raiders, the four-time defending FVC champions.

“Reese was dealing today. Speed was there, changeup was on point,” Huntley coach Mark Petryniec said. “When you’re facing an elite pitcher, you’ve got to do the little things. ... We tried to shorten our approach and just try to put balls in play. The Fox Valley is different. It’s going to be competitive. There’s some really good arms here.”

Mosolino, who is committed to Indiana, has done some of her best work against the Raiders, including her first high school no-hitter in the teams’ FVC opener last year.

When Huntley made noise in the seventh, Mosolino’s confidence barely wavered.

“Pretty calm, just making sure I’m taking deep breaths and dialing back in,” said Mosolino, who allowed five hits, walked none and allowed only one earned run. “I knew my team would have my back if [Huntley] got some hits. It felt good to get back out there.”

In the seventh, Huntley’s Aubrina Adamik reached first on a fielding error, followed by a double off the right-field fence from Isabella Boskey. Lyla Ginczycki just missed a homer, instead settling for a sacrifice fly. With one out, Sadie Svendsen smacked an RBI double to score Boskey.

Mosolino escaped trouble with a strikeout and groundout to spoil Huntley’s comeback.

“She’s becoming a complete pitcher,” Busam said. “I’m super proud of her.”

Prairie Ridge got all three of its runs on home runs, first a solo shot by Kiddy, an Illinois commit, and a two-run blast to center field by sophomore center fielder Kylie Carroll. Both homers came with two outs in the third inning.

That was the only real damage done against Huntley senior Gretchen Huber, who was efficient herself, throwing 73 pitches. Huber struck out four, walked two and allowed five hits.

Carroll has been hitting third in the lineup after starting as a freshman last year. Her sister, senior catcher Kendra, has been protecting her in the lineup at cleanup. Their dad Brent Carroll coaches varsity baseball at Palatine. He also is Kylie’s travel coach.

Kylie Carroll said she was looking to drive an outside pitch when she hit her home run Monday. She and her dad were working on that location specifically over the weekend at NexGen Training Center in Crystal Lake.

“I feel like this win shows we’re in the running [in the FVC],” Kylie Carroll said. “We came out ready to go.”

Carroll said playing behind Mosolino gives everyone great confidence.

“With Reese, you always know she’s going to go out there and give her best,” Carroll said.