Lincoln-Way West Overpowers Crosstown Rival Lincoln-Way Central 11-1

NEW LENOX, Ill. — The Lincoln-Way West varsity softball team delivered a decisive blow in its crosstown rivalry on Thursday afternoon, rolling to an 11-1 conference victory over visiting Lincoln-Way Central in a game shortened to five innings by the run rule.

Despite the final score, it was actually Lincoln-Way Central that struck first. In the top of the second inning, senior Annelysia Reina set the table for the Knights by ripping a double. Junior Juno Lundquist quickly followed up with a clutch RBI single, putting the visitors ahead 1-0 and placing early pressure on the hosts.

However, the lead proved to be short-lived. Lincoln-Way West answered immediately in the bottom of the second, erupting for three runs to take a 3-1 advantage. The hosts’ relentless offensive attack kept the pressure on for the remainder of the afternoon, capitalizing on nine hits and a pair of Lincoln-Way Central fielding errors to continually extend their lead.

Lincoln-Way West methodically pulled away, adding two runs in the third inning before breaking the game wide open with a four-run burst in the fourth. The hosts capped off the dominant showing with two final runs in the bottom of the fifth to trigger the 10-run mercy rule and walk off with the victory.

The Knights struggled to string together consistent offense against the Lincoln-Way West pitching staff, managing just four hits on the day. Freshman Hope Davis and junior Jenna Lee each added singles to join Reina and Lundquist in the hit column, but the team could not mount a sustained rally after the second inning.

In the circle, senior Annelysia Reina took the loss for Lincoln-Way Central. She pitched three solid innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out two, but unearned runs and defensive miscues extended the hosts’ rallies. Sophomore Madelyn Lanigan and senior Lauren Podkul also pitched in relief for the Knights.

Ultimately, Lincoln-Way West’s flawless defense—committing zero errors on the day—and highly opportunistic lineup proved to be the difference-maker in the decisive rivalry win.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives

• 2nd Inning: Lincoln-Way Central takes an early 1-0 lead on Juno Lundquist’s RBI single. Lincoln-Way West immediately answers with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead.

• 3rd Inning: Lincoln-Way West adds a pair of runs to extend its advantage to 5-1.

• 4th Inning: Lincoln-Way West breaks the game open with a four-run offensive burst.

• 5th Inning: Lincoln-Way West pushes two final runs across to reach the 10-run threshold and secure the 11-1 victory.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Lincoln-Way Central: Juno Lundquist (1-2, 1 RBI); Annelysia Reina (1-2, 1 2B); Hope Davis (1-3); Jenna Lee (1-2).

• Lincoln-Way West: Statistics not provided (9 Team Hits).

PITCHING:

• Lincoln-Way Central: Annelysia Reina (L, 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K); Madelyn Lanigan (1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K); Lauren Podkul (0.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K).

• Lincoln-Way West: Statistics not provided.