Softball: Oswego routs East Aurora

Updated: March 30, 2012 10:17PM

Oswego’s softball team got back to .500 on the season Friday as it readies itself for the start of Southwest Prairie play next week.

The Panthers easily handled host East Aurora in nonconference action Friday, 16-1 in five innings.

“It’s nice to get a win,” Oswego coach John Carlson said. “We’re back to 3-3. We’ve played some good innings. We just haven’t quite put together seven innings yet. That’s our big thing right now.”

Steph Prentice helped her cause to break out of the Panthers’ mix of three pitchers going into conference with a dominant performance. She struck out 10 in her five innings, allowing only one hit and one run, to improve to 1-1 on the season. She has been splitting time with Jess Clark and Katherine Daley in the pitcher’s circle thus far.

“She did a nice job today,” Carlson said. “We have three pitchers and we’ve been rotating them, trying to figure out which one is going to push ahead a little bit. We’ve done a nice job with our pitching, but we have to keep putting the bats out there.”

That wasn’t a problem against the Tomcats (0-7) Friday. Prentice had the big blow of the game, helping herself with a three-run home run as part of a 10-run second inning. She blasted the shot to dead center, just in front of the hill beyond the fence at East Aurora.

“She got a hold of it good and pushed through it,” Carlson said.

Jessa Garcia doubled and Ashley Blocker had an RBI single in the big inning. The Panthers then scored three in the third, thanks to RBIs from Brandi Riess, Prentice and Garcia. Kirsty Tracy and Kelsea Baker each had RBI singles in the fifth for Oswego.

East Aurora’s lone run came across in the third. After Prentice loaded the bases with walks, shortstop Sophia Nunez cracked an RBI single to cut the lead to 14-1.

Oswego kicks off Southwest Prairie play Tuesday against a powerful Minooka squad. The Panthers also play in the Fox Valley Tournament in two weeks.

“I think it will be great,” Carlson said. “Our conference is traditionally pretty tough. We’re going to hit it hard right away. It’s going to give us a chance to really get a good feel of who is in the right spots. We’re coming around.”

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