Softball: Undefeated Oswego handles Batavia

Aubriella Garza had her moments on the mound to open the nonconference softball game on Tuesday afternoon.

But the Oswego freshman looked like a seasoned veteran at the plate against Batavia.

Garza had doubles in her first two at-bats in Oswego, the second driving home what proved to be the winning runs in the Panthers' 13-3 win over the Bulldogs in six innings.

Batavia failed to solve Garza for her final 10 batters of the game after Olivia Stark delivered a two-out, two-run double in the top of the third inning as the Panthers extended their season-opening winning streak to four games.

The Bulldogs fell to 1-4.

"I felt like I was really looking for every (pitch) I could possibly find," said Garza, who had three of the Panthers' 13 hits. "It was just a matter of trying to get the ball on the bat and pitching my best game. I was focusing and dialing in (on the mound and at the plate)."

Garza delivered Zoe Precup and Corrin Kennedy, who opened the Panthers' third with back-to-back singles to break a 3-3 deadlock.

It was all downhill for the Bulldogs, who had all six of their hits off Garza in the first two-and-two-thirds innings, for the rest of the game.

Oswego parlayed consecutive three-run innings in the second and the third into an abbreviated victory.

The Panthers (4-0) would ultimately solve the two Batavia pitchers with six extra-base hits, all of them doubles.

Oswego sophomore Marissa Moffett orchestrated the offense as the leadoff hitter.

"I have been looking for a home run lately," Moffett said. "I had two pretty far ones today, so I was pretty happy about that."

The Panthers more than showed the importance of putting the ball in play as neither Batavia pitcher was able to produce a strikeout in 36 official Oswego trips to the plate.

"Our program is looking for quality at-bats this year," said Moffett, whose two-run double in the bottom of the fifth extended the Panthers' lead to 8-3.

"I felt like we were still in the game (early)," Batavia coach Torry Pryor said. "Our (starting) pitcher was finding her spots, but the ball was finding the gaps. I think we're still a pretty good team. It's early in the season, and we will bounce back."

Olivia Berlin, like Garza, also had two doubles for Oswego.

Moffett ended the game by scoring on a bases-loaded Precup infield single.

Stark answered the Panthers' three-run second by capping a Batavia three-spot of its own in the top of the third.

The senior plated Molly Giesen and Lauren Cole with the Bulldogs' second double of the game.

"It was right after a timeout," Stark said. "Usually they do that to get you off-track. I just watched the ball and hit it to right-center."