EDWARDSVILLE — Senior pitcher Marley Fox struck out 10 and did not issue a walk as Edwardsville beat O’Fallon 4-0 in a Southwestern Conference softball game Thursday afternoon, April 16, 2026, at the Edwardsville District 7 Sports Complex, extending the Tigers’ winning streak to 10 games.
The game was Edwardsville’s annual pink-out fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and a cure, with the Tigers wearing special pink jerseys.
“She got better as the game went on today,” Edwardsville coach Caty Happe said of Fox. “And that’s a really good O’Fallon team, so to come out on top early on is really nice.”
Edwardsville took momentum at the top of the first after Bella Schmitt singled with one out, then the Tigers turned a double play to end the inning. The Tigers cashed in in the second, scoring twice with two outs.
“We had a double play in the first inning,” Happe said, “where we got out early, which helped us build momentum. Then we did a lot with two outs today, which is always nice to see, because sometimes, you struggle with two outs. But we had a lot of kids on, and we moved them around.”
Lily Stone doubled to lead off the second, and two outs later, Maggie Bray drove in Stone with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Bray took second on the throw to the plate, and Maksine Straub followed with an RBI single to score Bray for a 2-0 lead.
Edwardsville added on in the fourth when Sophie Antonini singled with two outs, and Bray tripled her home to make it 3-0. The Tigers scored their final run in the fifth as Bryar Ellinger singled with two outs and Brooke Burris tripled to right, bringing in Ellinger for a 4-0 advantage.
Bray led Edwardsville with two hits and two RBIs. Burris and Straub each had a hit and an RBI. Ellinger, Antonini, and Stone also had hits.
Fox scattered five hits and struck out 10 without a walk, according to the game summary. O’Fallon’s hits came from Schmitt, Lehde, Haylee Williams, and Hadley Schulte.
O’Fallon coach Jamie Corbin said his team responded after a loss earlier in the week.
“I thought we played well after coming off a tough loss against Belleville West on Tuesday,” Corbin said, “I was hoping my team would respond, and they did. They did a lot of things we had talked about at practice, and they executed, and Edwardsville is a very solid program. I think we played well, I think there are some things to do better on, and I was overall happy with our performance. We’re looking forward to making some adjustments and playing them again for the second time in conference.”
Edwardsville improved to 17-7 and moved to 4-0 in the league. Happe said the team’s current run followed a stretch that included injuries and a challenging schedule.
“Marley battled some injuries early,” Happe said, “and we played a lot of younger pitchers, which is good experience for us, but we’ve got a tough schedule, so at any point in time, losses aren’t that big of a deal as long as we’re getting better from it. So, I think it’s important that our schedule was that way, and it’s made us compete more, now, I think.”
Happe also pointed to the team’s approach during the streak.
“Awesome to see,” Happe said. “They’re playing some good softball, working together, and when you work hard and do the right things, you get good outcomes.”
Edwardsville begins a road stretch Friday at Triad, then plays at Belleville West next Tuesday. Both games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. The Tigers will also compete in the Bradley-Bourbonnais tournament next Friday and Saturday.
