Prairie Ridge tops Crystal Lake Central to win Fox Valley Conference championship outright

CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge players emptied from the regular visitor’s dugout between half innings to a slightly cooler bench area outside.

The Wolves were trying to stay cool, but they’ve been nothing but hot all spring.

Prairie Ridge junior and Indiana commit Reese Mosolino tossed her third shutout in a row, and the Wolves knocked off crosstown rival Crystal Lake Central 2-0 Wednesday to secure the Fox Valley Conference championship outright.

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Prairie Ridge's Bella Moore tags out Crystal Lake Central's Lily Perocho as she slides into third base during a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Crystal Lake Central High School. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

“It’s so fitting,” said senior shortstop Adysen Kiddy, who will play next year at Illinois. “Today’s been the best day ever. It’s our [seniors’] last day of school and we just won conference. This is amazing.”

Prairie Ridge (22-1-1, 16-1 FVC), which clinched a share Tuesday with a 1-0 victory against Burlington Central, last won a conference title in 2016 as part of the FVC Fox Division. This is the first time the Wolves have won the conference since it moved to 10 teams.

Prairie Ridge coach Scott Busam, in his third year at the school, has set the bar high.

“That was goal No. 1 when we started the season,” Busam said. “Not to be close or to be second or to be third or to be happy to be near the top. It was to win it, and to win it outright.

“When you’ve got Huntley prowling around at the top of the conference, McHenry is good every year, and Hampshire can slug, this is ridiculously hard to do. To come in and do it outright with a game to go, they’ve exceeded my expectations. They have been the most fun team to coach in a long time.”

Mosolino was dominant once again in the circle, giving up three hits, walking none and striking out nine. In her last three starts, including Wednesday, the Wolves ace has 30 strikeouts and one walk in 21 innings.

“I felt really good out there knowing all my pitches were working to mess up with their timing,” said Mosolino, who also had a shutout against the Tigers in their first meeting April 25 (a 5-0 win).

“Knowing my teammates have my back and knowing if something goes through, they’ll get it.”

Central only got one runner to second base following a one-out double by Lily Perocho in the bottom of the fourth inning. But she was retired trying to get to third base on a ground ball to Kiddy at shortstop.

“When she’s ahead, she’s got a few different pitches to put you away” Central coach Brian Strombom said of Mosolino. “When she gets you to two [strikes], it’s difficult. When you’re down one or two runs against that pitcher it’s a matter of you’ve got to check yourself and not press. You have to stay within yourself.”

Sophomore Oli Victorine was equally difficult in the circle for the Tigers (19-6, 13-4), giving up two runs on five hits in a complete game. She struck out 11 and walked one.

Prairie Ridge sophomore third baseman Bella Moore put the Wolves up 1-0 with a two-out RBI single to score Kendra Carroll, who had an infield single and moved to second on a fielder’s choice, in the top of the fourth.

The Wolves scratched across their second run in the top of the sixth. Sophomore center fielder Kylie Carroll led off with a triple down the right-field line, aggressively taking third when the ball got away from outfielder Brooklyn Johnson. Kendra Carroll, a senior, then drove in her sister on a squeeze play.

Moore’s go-ahead base hit was all the Wolves would need.

“I love that kid, she’s just this bubbly personality and she’s super fun,” Busam said of Moore. “She’s in choir, she’s in theater. You wouldn’t see her in the hallway and be like, ‘That is one tough softball player.’ But man, when she comes out here, it’s all business. She’s come up clutch for us in more than one occasion.”

Central still had a shot of tying for the conference title entering play Wednesday.

The Tigers have been near the top of the conference standings throughout the entire spring, beating four-time defending FVC champion Huntley 3-0 to open the year and winning their first seven games.

“It’s a great conference, there’s a number of teams that have multiple things they do well, and [Prairie Ridge] is the ultimate example,” Strombom said. “Mosolino is great, but they execute, they do nice things defensively, they get bunts down, and they get things done when they need to be done. And they’re not the only [FVC] team like that.”

Three years ago, with the current seniors as freshman, Prairie Ridge finished 10-19.

Things have shifted since then.

“It’s been a long journey,” Kendra Carroll said. “I feel like when Busam took over, we started building this culture at PR. Especially for softball, I feel sometimes we may be overlooked and not as appreciated as other sports. The last couple of years building that culture, leading us to this year, has been real special. Most of my classmates and teachers have been congratulating us and asking us about stuff. It’s been an amazing year.”