06/22/2026
This past weekend in Loves Park did not go our way, going 0-3-1 against some very good competition. Between calls and bounces that didn't go our way, some injuries, a rough schedule, and finally the rain that ended any chance of bracket play, we just had one of those weekends. Still, we had a lot of things to be proud of, each girl had highlights, and we played hard. We had success against an 18u team with college players. We tied a tough team in a back and forth game. We had an amazing comeback brewing in the rain that was cut short simply because we ran out of time.
Alex had a huge weekend with two monster homeruns. We shuffled the lineup some and she took full advantage. Hitting .545 on the weekend with an OPS of 1.727, she was the most dangerous bat in the lineup top to bottom. She also got several innings playing in right field, both helping the team fill in with some players out, and also learning a new position to help her high school team next year.
Addy's bat came alive this weekend, hitting .500 with a double and driving rocket shots up the middle. She drove in two key runs and posted a .556 OBP, getting on base more than half the time. She also worked double duty splitting time in left and behind the plate, gunning down a runner trying to steal second.
Ivie's bat was big for the second weekend in a row. Three doubles and a .667 slugging percentage tell the story. This girl just mashed and did her job at the plate each time up, driving in 3 and scoring 4 herself. She also made contact on better than 91% of swings, one of the best contact rates on the team.
Elley's hit streak ended at 10, but she still managed to get on base in each game, posting a .417 OBP and hitting a double of her own while driving in 3 critical runs. She also drew two walks, showing patience and working counts even when the hits weren't falling.
Payton does what she does, moving into a leadoff role and setting the table for the big bats behind her. She scored 4 runs, got on base at a .417 clip, and her speed was on full display on the bases with 6 stolen bases on 6 attempts, a perfect weekend on the bases. She also clamped down center field and saw 31 pitches across 12 plate appearances, which is exactly what you want from the top of your order.
Kaya drove in two, got on base at .375, and locked it down behind the plate. She also threw out a runner attempting to steal, going 1-for-1 on caught stealing attempts. She helped work our pitchers through tight situations and raindrops all weekend.
Maddie's offensive line doesn't tell the true story of her weekend. Her OBP was .375 despite one hit, which shows she worked counts, put the ball in play, and kept pressure on the defense. She also saw the most pitches per plate appearance of any regular in the lineup at 4.0 per PA, a sign she was competing at the plate and making pitchers work. Sooner or later these hits will start to find gaps for her. She played a stellar first base as usual, posting a .947 fielding percentage.
Anna had a similar weekend. A lot of hard contact that went right to gloves. She crossed the plate twice and locked down second and short for us. Her contact rate was 80%, so the ball was going somewhere, just right at people.
Mari had a tough weekend at the plate but continued to battle. She made contact at a 66% clip and drove in a run, and her presence in the lineup kept defenses honest. She did come through in a big moment, scoring the game tying run with a perfect slide at home, hurting her ankle on the play. Like the gamer she is, she came back with a brace and played the next day.
Nat was a force on the mound, competing each and every pitch. In 12 innings she struck out 3 and held a 63% first pitch strike rate, which kept hitters off balance all weekend. She does a great job of making batters swing and trusting her defense to make the play. Each and every time she takes the circle, she gives this team a chance to win.
This weekend we had a sub step in and help us out. Mackenzee Matz did that and then some. Splitting time on the mound and swinging a big bat, she went 3-for-5 with a homerun and scored 4 runs. Her OPS on the weekend was 2.114. On the mound she threw 9 innings, struck out 7, and posted a 59% first pitch strike rate while throwing 220 pitches across 56 batters faced. She was exactly what this team needed when we needed it most.
Enjoy your weekend off, girls, you have earned it! We will see you all July 3-5 in Loves Park!
