Prairie Ridge, making state debut, falls to Glenwood at IHSA Class 3A semifinals

PEORIA – Few teams have been able to string together hits against Prairie Ridge junior Reese Mosolino and find gaps in the Wolves’ defense throughout a historic season.

That’s been especially true in the Class 3A playoffs as Prairie Ridge has played air-tight defense and Mosolino has shut down opposing teams with a 0.39 ERA in five games entering the state semifinals.

On Friday, top-seeded Chatham Glenwood was able to get to Mosolino early and shut out Prairie Ridge for the first time this season in a 5-0 victory at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

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Prairie Ridge's Adysen Kiddy (8) attempts a diving catch as teammate Autmn Ledgerwood arrives for backup during the Wolves' 5-0 loss to Glenwood in the IHSA Class 3A state semifinal on June 13, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette)

Prairie Ridge (28-2-1), making its first state tournament appearance, will play for third place against St. Laurence (23-8) at 9 a.m. Saturday. Glenwood (36-1) meets Providence Catholic (26-11), a 5-2 winner over St. Laurence, for the title at 11:30 a.m.

“They did what nobody’s been able to do against us this entire season,” Wolves coach Scott Busam said. “Our defense, Reese’s pitching, that’s what’s carried us throughout this postseason. They were able to get big hits in big moments in consecutive at-bats.

“That was the difference, especially early. They strung hits, and ours were too spread out.”

Mosolino pitched four shutouts in five playoff games entering Friday, including a no-hitter against Woodstock. The only two runs the Indiana commit had allowed were against Crystal Lake Central in a 5-2 sectional final win.

Glenwood, a big-hitting team with 52 home runs, scratched across single runs in the first two innings and added two in the third. Ryleigh Kiel scored the Titans’ first run after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, scoring on a wild pitch with two outs.

In the second, No. 9 hitter Mollie Cascio drove in Sophia Feld, who doubled to lead off the inning, with a hard single to left field. But Prairie Ridge cut off a potential second run on a relay from left fielder Autumn Ledgerwood to shortstop Ady Kiddy to catcher Kendra Carroll.

Glenwood tallied two runs in the third on back-to-back RBI hits from Taryn Griffith and Ava Bobb after the inning started with catcher’s interference. The Titans got their last run in the fourth on a Hope Gilmore bloop single to left field, just out of the reach of Kiddy.

“They just kept finding gaps. I give them the credit for that,” said Mosolino, who allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits, striking out five and walking two. “They did really good today. My change was going to the spots I needed them to go to keep their batters off their timing, but they just outhit us. That’s what it came down to.”

Busam said he felt Mosolino got stronger as the game went on.

“Halfway through the game, you can tell she really started to settle in,” Busam said. “The drop ball was inducing bloops and grounders. I’m always proud of Reese and her approach in the circle. It’s all business all the time. We just couldn’t scrounge up any offense to give her some breathing room.”

Prairie Ridge put runners on base in every inning but the seventh, stranding seven runners total. In the third, Kiddy, who will play next year at Illinois, drove a ball to deep center field that Kiel raced back to grab. In the fifth, after back-to-back two-out hits by Kiddy and junior Parker Frey, a hard hit off the bat of Kylie Carroll again found the glove of Kiel.

The Wolves finished with three hits against Glenwood junior pitcher Irie Lohrenz, a Miami (Ohio) commit, who had four strikeouts and three walks in a complete game.

Mary-Kate Center had the other hit for Prairie Ridge, a two-out single in the second.

“It looked like she was throwing a lot outside, so the idea was to kind of take it right side, stay on top of it,” Frey said. “It worked pretty well I thought, it just didn’t go our way. We found a lot of barrels.”

Trailing 4-0 going into the top of the fourth, the Wolves looked like they would have runners on first and second base with one out after sophomore Bella Moore reached on an error and senior Autumn Ledgerwood was hit by a pitch on her right wrist.

Ledgerwood ran all the way to first base, but after a meeting between umpires, it was ruled she swung on the pitch and that the ball hit the knob of the bat. She ended up grounding out in the at-bat followed by a pop-up to end the inning.

“I swear to God it hit me in the hand. And then they’re like, ‘You have to go back,’ ” said Ledgerwood, who was looked at by a trainer before continuing her at-bat. “I was so mad, and then they made me go back and hit. But it’s OK. Stuff like that happens.”

The Wolves, who captured back-to-back regional titles and their second sectional crown in school history (2009), still have a chance to end the year on a high note Saturday.

They aren’t taking that opportunity lightly.

“This group of girls is closer than any other group I’ve been with,” Frey said. “It’s cool to experience [state]. I know there are some other big schools that are here every year. It’s really important to us that we give [our seniors] a good send-off.”

Ledgerwood, one of three seniors with Kiddy and Kendra Carroll, said the Wolves had plans to go out for a pasta dinner Friday night and maybe a fun activity like miniature golf.

Come Saturday, it’s back to business.

“My message to them is to enjoy this,” Busam said. “Win or lose, this is the last time we get to do this together. So go out and try and get the biggest trophy you can get.”