Oswego’s Rikka Ludvigson didn’t take to the position like a duck to water, but the junior has taken flight in her second season at first base.
At first, it wasn’t easy, however.
“I struggled a lot last year,” Ludvigson said. “It was between me and a senior fighting for the spot. I think it became more of a mental game. This year, I’ve just taken it more chill, done my own thing.
“Now, I’ve locked down first base pretty much, I think. And I’ve been hitting a lot better.”
That was apparent Friday as Ludvigson delivered an RBI single and an RBI double for the host Panthers in a 9-1 win over conference rival Yorkville in the Class 4A Oswego Regional final.
Sophomore right-hander Jaelynn Anthony (10-4) pitched a complete game for Oswego (25-9), which advances to play at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Plainfield North Sectional semifinals.
The victory ended a 37-year drought for the program. Anthony was a key for the Foxes, who last won a regional in 1987, by checking Yorkville (18-18) on five hits and striking out seven.
Junior catcher Kiyah Chavez, an Iowa commit, was impressed.
“Jaelynn was hitting all her spots,” Chavez said. “It was just a good day.
“Thirty-seven years? That’s crazy. It’s very special. Every athlete wants to make history, so it’s super cool to go that. It’s a long time. This is a talented team. I think we deserve it.”
Anthony spotted Yorkville a 1-0 lead in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded.
Chavez then tied the game with a record-setting RBI double in the first as Oswego took a 2-1 lead. It was a program-record 55th hit of the season for Chavez, who is batting a team-high .509.
“I don’t try to break records,” Chavez said. “I try to win. I think it works better that way. If you try to break records, you’re not gonna. You’re always going to be in your head. I just try to have fun.”
Ludvigson, second on the team in hitting at .416, has learned that lesson as well.
The Panthers held a 4-1 lead when she sparked a five-run rally in the fifth inning with a double down the left field line. It capped a nine-pitch at-bat.
“I was pumped,” Ludvigson said. “It all worked out in the end. The first couple pitches I was waiting for mine. Then I got two strikes and thought, ‘If it’s close, I’m gonna swing.’ And that’s what I did.”
She fouled off three pitches.
“I was thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m getting out — I’m getting on base here,’” Ludvigson said. “It worked.”
It didn’t surprise Anthony, her travel teammate, or Chavez.
“I trust her a lot,” Anthony said of Ludvigson. “I know her abilities, and they’ve come out this season. She brings it.”
Ludvigson joins Chavez, Anthony and junior third baseman Aubriella Garza, a Northern Illinois commit, to give Oswego a formidable middle of the order. They have combined for 31 doubles and 36 home runs.
A catcher and third baseman in the summer, Ludvigson has been a calming influence for the Panthers while settling in at first base.
“It took us half the year to convince her she could be good at it,” Oswego coach Paul Netzel said. “Once she accepted it, she went out and bought a first baseman’s glove and committed to it.
“Now, the players don’t want anybody else out there. She’s catching everything.”
Chavez noticed the same thing.
“That long at-bat was awesome, and she’s such a big part of our energy,” Chavez said. “She’s athletic and skilled. If we don’t have her at first base, it would be a struggle.
“As somebody who likes to pick people off, there have been times I’ve had atrocious throws and she saves me. She’s phenomenal. First is kinda new for her, but she’s picked it up.”
Netzel believes Ludvigson could be the best first basemen in the area.
“She’s not a big home-run hitter, but she consistently gives you good at-bats,” Netzel said. “She moves runners along, gets a key hit or a fly ball when you need it, and her defense is great.”
