Senior catcher Kiyah Chavez definitely has her eyes on the prize for Oswego. She just doesn’t want opponents — especially base runners — getting too good of a look.
It’s why the Iowa recruit keeps her sunglasses on come rain or shine, even if it’s overcast from the haze of Canadian wildfires like it was Friday afternoon.
Besides, those orange shades look good, matching perfectly with the orange lettering on her Panthers’ jersey.
“Honestly, I do have a pair of Oakleys and I do like them,” Chavez said. “But the glasses I’m wearing belong to (senior outfielder) Rhiana Martinez. I just like them. They look cooler.
“I’m pretty big about wearing my glasses because, as I’m sure you’ve seen, one of my favorite things to do is pick off runners. If they can see where I’m looking, it’s kind of a problem.”
Chavez, the area’s reigning player of the year, looked and played the part Friday for Oswego in a 6-0 win over Neuqua Valley in the Class 4A Oswego East Regional championship game.
Jaelynn Anthony ended up taking a no-hitter for Oswego (33-2) into the sixth inning against Neuqua (17-15), and Chavez provided a huge part of the backing with two singles and two RBIs.
On top of that, Chavez threw out one runner trying to steal second base and came within an eyelash of picking off another at first. But her work in the batter’s box continues to impress.
“That’s what I’ve got in my head when I go up there to bat,” said Chavez, who raised her batting average to .555 (60-for-108) with 59 RBIs, both team highs. “I’m thinking, ‘Do your job.’”
Anthony did her job with 11 strikeouts in pitching a two-hitter for the Panthers, who play at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday against the host Foxes (24-12) in a Yorkville Sectional semifinal.
Oswego took third in the state last season. Yorkville beat Plainfield 1-0 Friday in a regional final.
“This year, Jaelynn knows what it’s about now,” Oswego co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi said. “Every win last year was a surprise. This year, we’ve been there, we’ve done that.
“We know what to expect and our players do, too. We’re led by 10 seniors and 12 returners from last year’s state run. We know what to expect and what it’s going to take.”
As for that pick-off throw to senior first baseman Rikka Ludvigson?
“Rikka and I have kind of a really subtle sign for when we’re gonna do something,” Chavez said. “I use it with our third basemen, too. I’ll take any advantage I can get.”
As for the call?
“Oh, she was out,” Chavez said. ” She was so out, totally out.”
Scaramuzzi said the coaching staff felt it would be a challenge facing Neuqua and standout senior pitcher Ava Drehs, a Creighton recruit.
“We knew we’d need our small ball and we’d need clutch hits,” Scaramuzzi said. “One through 10, we did an excellent job of executing, making the defense work by putting the ball in play.”
Junior shortstop Kennedy Gengler, batting eighth, led an eight-hit attack with three singles. The Panthers, who have 50 homers and a .411 team batting average, didn’t produce an extra-base hit.
Five Neuqua errors, though, helped the cause as Drehs allowed just one earned run.
All of that started with Chavez.
“She’s a difference-maker on both sides of the ball,” Scaramuzzi said. “Jaelynn trusts her and they’re a great pair, so together they are unstoppable in my opinion.”
Anthony also had four assists fielding her position. She started a double play with a force to Gengler, who then threw to Ludvigson.
“Those are key plays on defense that really shift momentum for us,” Scaramuzzi said. “Kiyah and Rikka work well together for those picks and Kiyah, obviously, is a superstar at the plate.
“She’s gonna get the job done whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
