January 2, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO softball’s senior night set for Monday as Spartans try to end skid

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team will try to end a two-game losing skid and score its first runs in May when the Spartans host Monticello at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.


The Illini Prairie Conference game will also double as senior night for SJO, which will honor Ashtyn Cromwell, Katie Poulter, Hannah Lewis and Savannah Smith prior to the game at 4:15 p.m.


The Spartans played for the first time this past Friday since April 24 after a series of postponements caused by inclement weather, but suffered an 11-0 loss in five innings at Pontiac in Illini Prairie play. S

SJO fell behind 6-0 after two innings and a four-run fifth inning by the host Indians ended the game early. The Spartans only managed four hits against Pontiac pitcher Regan Krause, an Illinois commit. Bailey Dowling went 2 for 2 to lead SJO, while Hannah Dukeman and Smith each added singles. Zoey Witruk took the loss in the pitcher’s circle, giving up seven runs on five hits in four innings, striking out three and walking three.


A day later, despite collecting seven hits against Salt Fork, SJO lost 6-0 at home to the Storm on Saturday in a nonconference setback. The game was scoreless through four innings before Salt Fork pushed across a single run in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 2-0 lead and then plating four runs in the seventh.


Kaylee Ward and Ashtyn Cromwell both went 2 for 3, with Ward contributing a double, while Dowling, Smith and Poulter all singled, but SJO left six runners stranded on base.


Witruk suffered the loss despite only allowing two hits and one run in five innings of work, striking out 13. Hannah Lewis and Sophie Martlage each threw an inning in relief.


After SJO (15-7, 4-3 Illini Prairie) hosts Monticello on Monday, the Spartans are set to play at Olympia at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday to conclude Illini Prairie action before hosting Champaign Central at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and playing in the Galesburg Tournament this Saturday. SJO is slated to end the regular season at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 13 against Charleston before beginning postseason play at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14 against either Monticello or Warrensburg-Latham in a Class 2A Maroa-Forsyth Regional semifinal game.

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