Six Oswego seniors start out in softball as Outlaws. They end up as Class 4A state champions. ‘Just so grateful.’

PEORIA — Six Oswego seniors started out as Outlaws. They ended up as state champions.

Third baseman Aubriella Garza, catcher Kiya Chavez, first baseman Rikka Ludvigson, outfielders Natalie Muellner and Rhiana Martinez and infielder Abby Schwab began playing travel together.

It was an 8-and-under team that would eventually reunite for the Panthers.

“My father was coaching us and we were with the Oswego Outlaws program,” said Garza, the Northern Illinois recruit. “We’ve been connected the past few years in high school. It’s definitely been a connected community when it comes to softball.

“If you had asked me freshman year if we were even gonna make it to state, I would have said, ‘No.’ But this is definitely one of the best groups to come through Oswego softball, and I’m just so grateful to be a part of it.”

Those seniors not only made it back to the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex after taking third last season, they beat Barrington 4-1 on Saturday in the Class 4A state championship game.

Garza kicked things off for Oswego (38-2) by hitting a two-out home run in the third inning. It staked Purdue-bound junior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony (22-1) to a 1-0 lead on the Fillies (35-4-1).

It was Garza’s team-leading 14th homer of the season.

“We’ve pushed hard this year, challenging ourselves more, and one of my struggles early in the season was sequencing,” Garza said. “If the pitcher would throw a sequence, I wouldn’t pick up on it soon enough.

“Well, (Saturday), I was sitting change-up all day long. I just knew it was coming and it did.”

And then it was going.

Garza followed that up with a double that one-hopped the right-center fence and a single, boosting her program career record for total hits to 188.

“The home run was huge,” Oswego co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi said. “I knew as soon as she hit it that we were gonna be in a good spot.

“It’s a storybook ending for an incredible career and an incredible kid. I’m just super proud of her and the career she had.”

Scaramuzzi, an Oswego graduate who went on to have a successful career as a pitcher at Missouri-St. Louis, also started in travel sofball with the same program.

“I was an Outlaw growing up,” Scaramuzzi said. “I started with them — a lot of people in Oswego do. This is definitely a full-circle moment. It’s the coolest thing to have our community behind us.”

Five errors by Barrington helped the Panthers add one run in the fourth on a groundout by junior outfielder Savannah Page and two more in the fifth.

Pitching a complete game for the second straight day, Anthony cruised along by striking out eight and walking just one.

“I’m exhausted, but I wasn’t going to stop until we made it and I’m glad we made it,” said Anthony, who had been tied with Garza for the team lead in homers. “She can have it. I’ve got next year.”

Nicholas Garza stressed the basics to his young players, according to Martinez, who’s headed to Rock Valley’s strong program in the fall.

“We learned how to throw, field the ball and to hit,” Martinez said. “All those little drills that we did, that we still do today, actually. There’s a lot of that incorporated, thanks to coach Nick.

“It’s kind of sad we’re growing apart now because of college, but playing this last year with all the girls is just incredible. They’re all amazing players. The ones moving on to play in college have a lot to look forward to.”

Oswego will also lose seniors Maddie Lohrman, Bella Lisle, Sabrina Zamora and Mya Alonzo to graduation.

Chavez, an Iowa recruit, pointed out that she pitched as well for the Outlaws. And she was thrilled about Aubriella Garza’s back-to-back performances at state.

“She’s really hard on herself,” Chavez said. “I’m glad she was able to have the rest of our backs that end of the postseason here. She’s a worker. She’s gonna do great things at NIU.”