By Xavier Sanchez
Correspondent
Oak Lawn entered its South Suburban Conference matchup with Shepard having won six of its last seven games.
The Astros — even hotter with seven straight victories after beginning the season with three consecutive losses — cooled off the Spartans (8-5, 4-2 SSC) for a day, winning 3-0 behind a complete-game two-hitter from junior Kailey Selvage on April 15 in Palos Heights.
Oak Lawn coach Shawn Neubauer is looking forward to good things this season. The Spartans finished 15-15 overall and 9-10 in the SSC in 2023.
Oak Lawn’s roster includes three seniors, eight juniors and one sophomore.
“We have some depth,” Neubauer said. “Many of our older players have been on varsity since freshman. We are looking to take that extra step this year.”
Junior second baseman/pitcher Kaitlyn Bekery had a double in the loss to Shepard (7-3, 5-0 South Suburban Conference).
Another contributor is junior pitcher Kasey Jackson, who tossed six innings against the Astros, allowing three runs on 11 hits and striking out five batters.
The team’s lone sophomore is Zoe Lepe, who has seen time in the infield and outfield.
Neubauer highlighted pitching and defense as strengths, but noted the offense has been improved. Current Spartans combined for three home runs last season, but the team has already slugged eight this year.
“We are looking to make strides,” Neubauer said. “A lot of the girls were sophomores on varsity (in 2023), so this year we are looking for them to make some big gains as juniors. We are hoping for some good things.”