EDWARDSVILLE — After O’Fallon’s girls softball team dropped a competitive 4-0 decision to Edwardsville on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Edwardsville High School, Panthers coach Jamie Corbin said she is already focused on a late-season rematch that will close out the regular season.
The Tigers beat O’Fallon on April 16, 2026, and the teams are scheduled to meet again on May 14, 2026, at O’Fallon. Corbin said she expects a high-level matchup and sees it as another chance to measure her team’s progress.
“Absolutely,” Corbin said. “We’re a growing program, and getting ourselves better each season. I’ve been blessed to be here, and I’ve been really happy with the kids this year and their performance. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do and keep making improvements. That’s what they’ve been showing.”
Corbin also credited Edwardsville pitcher Marley Fox with a strong performance on Thursday and said O’Fallon’s approach shifted as the game went on with her on the mound.
“Marley’s a great pitcher,” Corbin said. “I’m happy to see her back healthy; it was sad to see her hurt the last couple of seasons, and have her healthy and back, and she’s a great competitor. I thought we battled with her well early in the game, and kind of fell off our game plan a little bit towards the end. But we’re excited to get a chance to see her again, hopefully, in the next game.”
O’Fallon, now 9-5, is also looking for second chances against other Southwestern Conference opponents, Corbin said.
“I would love for us to get some revenge wins against the teams that beat us the first time through the conference,” Corbin said. “Belleville East, Belleville West, Edwardsville. Those are games that we played well with, that we can play better again.
“So that would be a goal for us to get a chance to take those wins. For us, playing competitive softball against good teams is something we’ve been trying to build with our schedule, and trying to build for our program. So, if we compete, and continue to improve, those are the things we’re looking for.”
Coach Corbin pointed to several players she said have helped drive the Panthers’ season, including Kennedy Clark, Avery Philips and Kylie Lehde, along with the team’s seniors.
“We’re looking forward to seeing these girls continue to have some success,” Corbin added. “Kennedy Clark’s been doing great for us in the circle. She’s been our ace with our program at varsity level so far, and seeing a lot of our younger players have success.
“Avery Philips is a freshman; she’s doing a great job for us at first base, and a really good bat for us in the lineup. Kylie Lehde, our catcher, has been phenomenal, and I’m just happy to see a lot of these younger players stepping into big roles, and my seniors collectively have been awesome. They have been fantastic leaders and guides, not just on the field, but off the field. I can’t ask for much more, besides a victory against Edwardsville next time,” she said with a smile.
O’Fallon is scheduled to play at Mascoutah in a doubleheader Saturday, with the first game set for 10 a.m. The Panthers then host Alton on Tuesday before a week off, and are scheduled to host Collinsville on April 28. Both home games are set for 4:30 p.m.
