West Central, Lexington-Ridgeview capture two softball victories on season’s first weekend

West Central and Lexington-Ridgeview each took care of business decisively with a pair of run-rule victories on the first weekend of the 2026 high school softball season.

West Central 12, Hall 1

At Jacksonville, West Central came out swinging by plating eight runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 12-1 drubbing of Spring Valley (Hall) at Future Champions Sports Complex.

Becca Hinshaw led the game off with a two-base hit, and then five of the next Heat batters singled in building a 5-0 advantage. Linny Corzatt drove in the final two runs with her second base hit infield the inning as the lead reached 8-0.

Miley Stimpson homered in the fourth inning and Lilly Higgins led off a three-run sixth with a home run.

Corzatt had three hits and drove in two runs to lead West Central’s offense. Stimpson had a homer and single while driving in two runs, Addy Burrell had two hits an RBI and Hinshaw delivered a pair of singles. Rylie Ferguson had a hit and two RBIs, Higgins had a homer, Lia Klossing had a hit and RBI and Lauren Winters singled. Payton Link and Taelyn Kelly drove in one run apiece.

Stimpson got the win in the circle, allowing one run and three hits while striking out five in three innings. Corzatt finished up, giving up a hit, three walks and fanning four.

West Central 12, DeKalb 0

Also on Friday, the Heat had the same modus operandi by scoring a lot of runs in the first inning and then cruising tot he win. This time it was an 11-run outburst en route to a 12-0 blanking of DeKalb.

The first four batters singled for the Heat. After a strikeout, four batters reached on walks as the lead grew to 5-0. Corzatt and Higgins singled with two outs and a pair of errors led to the final two tallies and an 11-0 advantage.

Corzatt and Higgins each had two hits and three runs batted in. To lead West Central (2-0). Hinshaw, Stimpson, Link, Jenna Bewley and Kaylee Mills had one hit apiece.

Stimpson scattered three hits and struck out four in going the distance.

Lexington-Ridgeview 10, Clinton 0

At Lexington, Rylee Kukuck didn’t a slow a hit and a late offensive push provided plenty of support as Lexington-Ridgeview shut out Clinton at Keller Park of Friday.

The Minutemen led 1-0 before putting up four runs in the fifth inning. A five-run sixth brought an end to the game.

Kukuck helper her cause with a single in the second that scored Anna Becker with the first run of the game in the second inning. Hailey Foote had a run-scoring double in the Lexington-Ridgeview fifth inning and Courtney Wesson flowed with a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.

Reese Seeman doubled in a run in the L-R sixth, and a sacrifice fly from Braelynn Gossage made it 7-0. Brenna Stover’s run-scoring single made it 8-0 and the game ended when Becker stroked a two-run double.

Becker collected four hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs for the Minutemen. Seeman had a double, single and RBI, Stover had two hits and drove in two runs and Alex Knight had two hits. Foote had a double and RBI while Wesson and Kukuck each singled and drove in a run and Emma Stover singled.

Kukuck struck out eight and walked three in the circle.

Lexington-Ridgeview 12, Herscher 2

At Lexington, the Minutemen pushed across eight runs in the last of the fifth inning to close out a 12-2 victory over Herscher at Keller Park on Saturday.

Lexington-Ridgeview trailed 2-1 briefly before scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Emma Stover and Gossage each had run-scoring doubles in the inning.

Gossage delivered a bases-loaded triple to highlight the fifth-inning uprising for the Minutemen. Brenna Stover, Foote and Wesson had bak-to-back-to-back runs-scoring doubles and Kallie Corkery ended the game with a run-scoring single.

Wesson had three doubles and two runs batted in for Lexington-Ridgeview (3-0). Brenna Stover also had three hits, including two-bagger, and drove in two runs while Gossage collected a triple, double and four RBIs. Emma Stover had a double, single and two RBIs, Foote had a double, single and RBI while Becker and Knight each had two hits. Corkery had a hit and RBI and Seeman and Kukuck each singled.

Foote got the win in the circle, allowing two runs, four hits and one walk to go with four strikeouts.

Prairie Central 13, EPG 0

At El Paso, Prairie Central scored in four of the five innings it batted in support of hurlers Jules Woodrey and Faith Fields as the Hawks blanked El Paso-Gridley 13-0 at South Pointe Park Saturday.

Woodrey had a run-scoring double that gave PC a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Addi Donley smacked a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Fields added a three-run shot later in the frame as the Hawks built a 9-0 advantage.

Kyah Creek’s two-run double in the fifth made it 11-0. She later scored on a wild pitch with Kate Slagel at bat. Slagel then reached on a fielder’s choice that, with an error, allowed Woodrey to score the final run.

Donley had three hits, including her homer, and drove in three runs for the Hawks (2-0). Creek had three hits, including a double, and two RBIs and Woodrey had a double and a pair of singles while plating one. Fields had a homer, single and three RBIs and Slagel had a hit and three RBIs.

Woodrey struck out eight and yielded just two hits in four innings in the circle. Fields struck out the side in relief.

Jaelynn Krones and Adriana Vargas each singled for the Titans (0-2). Ava Pinkham took the loss, giving up 12 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits and two walks. Gave up a hit and unearned run in relief.

Monmouth-Roseville 10, Galesburg 5

At Galesburg, after spotting host Galesburg a pair of runs, Monmouth-Roseville reeled off nine runs over two innings en route to a 10-5 victory Friday.

The Silver Streaks took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but the Titans responded with a seven-run third frame to take the lead for good. Nevaeh Stokes singled with one out to drive in Carmyn Way with the first M-R run.

Jazmyn Copeland followed with a run-scoring single to tie theme, and after Brenna Livingston was hit by a pitch, three runs scored on an error off a fly ball from Olivia Register. Way drove in the final two runs with a two-out double. It was her second hit of the inning.

A misplayed bunt led to the eighth M-R run of the game, and Livingston was plunked with the bases load to force in the Titans’ ninth run in two frames. Way drove in the final run in the seventh inning.

Register had a triple, single and drove in three runs while Way collected a double, single and three RBIs. Copeland had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run and Rylie Stokes had two hits. Nevaeh Stokes had a hit and RBI and Livingston drove in a run.

Register scattered 10 hits and walked two while yielding five runs (three earned) in going the distance in the circle. She struck out four.

Glenwood 10, Pontiac 0

At Chatham, Pontiac’s growing pains continued as the Indians suffered a 10-0 loss to Class 3A power Glenwood in a nonconference game Friday.

The Tribe (0-2) was no hit in the contest, but Natalie Zimmerman and Faith Campbell each drew a walk.

Peyton Rogers took the loss, giving up fie runs on six hits and two walks in 2 2-3 innings. She struck out four. Courtney Krause allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out one in relief.

Valley 12, United 9

At Monmouth, Spoon River Valley was able to push across more runs than United to claim a 12-9 decision Friday.

The Red Storm put up a fight. After giving up six runs in the top of the second, United plated six runs win the home-half of the frame to knot the game. Lilly Neve singled to drive in Madi Edwards with the first UHS run. Jackie Cairns followed with a run-scoring double and Mallory Giddings singled home a run as United rallied.

Natali Postin doubled in a run and Ava Westart scored on a passed ball to tie the game.

Valley scored two runs in the third and two more in the fourth inning for a 10-4 advantage. United got one run back with a run-scoring two-bagger from Edwards in the last of the fourth.

A pair of single-run innings for Valley made it 12-8 heading into the final frame. The Red Storm’s eighth run came in the fifth when Westart singled. United’s final run crossed the plate in the bottom of the seventh when Kennedy Martin scored on a Postin single.

Postin had three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for United. Giddings also had three hits and two runs batted in while Emma Lair singled twice. Edwards and Cairns each doubled and drove in a run and Neve had a hit and RBI. Westart also singled.

Edwards took the loss in the circle. She struck out four while giving up 12 runs (11 earned) on 18 hits and one walk.

Macomb 7, United 6

At Macomb, the final at bat proved the difference as host Macomb edged United 7-6 on Saturday. The Red Storm had tied the game at 6-6 with a four-run sixth inning, but an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the winner.

The Bombers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings. United responded with two runs in the third frame. Ava Westart scored on a short sacrifice fly from Mallory Giddings to get the Red Storm on the board. Madi Edwards added a run-scoring single for the second run.

Trailing 6-2, United stormed back in the sixth. Natali Postin tripled with the bases loaded to make it 6-5. She then scored on a Giddings base hit to knot the game at 6-6.

Giddings had three hits and two RBIs in leading the Red Storm (1-3). Postin had a triple, single and three runs batted in while Edwards had two hits and an RBI. Lilly Neve and Kennedy Martin had two hits apiece and Westart, Aubrey Bainter and Ella Bernhardt had one hit apiece.

Edwards took the loss in the circle after yielding five runs on four hits and three walks in four innings. She fanned four. Bernhardt struck out one while allowing two unearned runs on five hits and two walks.

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