The 2025 season couldn’t have gone much differently for the softball teams of Plainfield North and Lockport.

The Tigers finished 12-17 while Lockport went 31-11, made the 4A state tournament and finished in fourth place.

It’s a new year and these are two new teams.

It was only one game, but after Friday, 2026 is off to a much different start for both squads.

Plainfield North put a pair of runs up in the first inning and only added more from there as the Tigers spoiled Lockport’s home opener with a 5-1 victory.

The Tigers (2-0) were sharp early on offense and they only got sharper as the evening wore on. They finished with nine hits, led by Abby Mayes’ 3-for-3 effort.

After starting 1-8 last season, including five losses to start the year, Plainfield North now has two wins in as many games.

“It feels great,” Mayes said. “We had a lot of fun this game. We all came together as one and were really confident going into it. It was a good team win.”

Abigail Laube had a solid outing. While she only had four strikeouts, she also only walked one and the only run by Lockport was unearned.

“Laube shut it down,” Plainfield North coach Julie Ann Czerniakowski said. “She stayed confident, hit her spots and worked really, really well.”

The Porters (0-1) entered the year knowing they’d have to adjust to life without Kelcie McGraw. The superstar pitcher is now tossing strikeouts for Colgate. However, junior Bridget Faut still made 22 appearances last year and went 10-3 as a starter with a 1.74 ERA.

Faut struck out 10 against the Tigers and allowed nine hits.

The Lockport offense was unable to get much going, collecting just three hits.

“Defensively, they did what they needed to,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. “We made adjustments from the beginning of the game to the end of the game. We were getting better at bats. We graduated nine (players last year) so we’ve got a lot of newbies out there. We’re teaching them what the next level looks like.”

The action started when Mayes scored Taylor Franks on a two-out RBI single in the first, which was followed by Raegan Wojowski’s RBI double to score Mayes. It was 2-0 in a hurry to start things off.

That’s how the score remained until the top of the fifth. Plainfield North came out on fire with Grace Dynes picking up a leadoff double. Sydney Sullivan’s RBI single the next play scored her to make it 3-0.

The same inning, Brooklynn Griffith’s RBI double sent Sullivan home from second to extend things to 4-0. Griffith later scored on defensive indifference to give Plainfield North five runs.

Lockport did manage a run in the bottom of the same inning. A double by Sofia Schmitt got her on base and she advanced to third on an error the next at-bat. Taylor Lane grounded into a fielder’s choice the next at-bat and Schmitt made it home to put the Porters on the board.

The sixth was 1-2-3 for both teams and Plainfield North didn’t add any runs in the top of the seventh. Lockport had one last chance to get the fire started, but it didn’t happen.

Lockport’s next contest is a Saturday doubleheader against Antioch and Huntley while Plainfield North hosts Lincoln-Way West the same day.