October 19, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Dowling sets home run record, SJO softball reaches 20-win mark

Two notable historic accomplishments have happened recently for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team.


First, Bailey Dowling is now the state’s all-time leading home run hitter.

The junior shortstop hit two home runs during SJO’s 15-4 home loss to Charleston on Monday, giving the Alabama commit 62 for her career. The previous record was 60, held by Stephanie Abello when the current Illinois senior played at Benet Academy in Lisle from 2012-15.


The other noteworthy achievement happened this past Saturday when the Spartans won twice at the Alexis Fieldhouse Tournament to reach the 20-win mark, a standard the program has done every year since 1988.


Now, SJO (20-9) will turn its attention to the postseason. The second-seeded Spartans open up Class 2A play at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday when they face No. 6 Monticello in a Maroa-Forsyth Regional semifinal game.


Dowling became the state’s best career home run hitter with a solo home run over the right field fence to give SJO a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Charleston. The Trojans responded, though, with five runs in the top of the third to go ahead 5-1 before Dowling hit her second home run of the game to lead off the bottom of the third.


Charleston, however, scored 10 runs during the final three innings to stifle the Spartans. Hannah Dukeman also delivered two RBI on a seventh-inning single, scoring Kennedy Hudson and Jaycee Lewis.


On Saturday, the Spartans started off the eight-team tournament in Alexis with a 10-1 win against Monmouth United before losing 9-5 to Moline in their second game of the day and then defeating West Central 8-5 in their third game.


Dukeman (3 for 3, three RBI), Dowling (2 for 2, three runs scored, RBI) and Lauren Trankina (3 for 3, three runs scored) helped carry SJO to its win against West Central.


Hannah Lewis started and went 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits to go along with two strikeouts and two walks. Zoey Witruk threw 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief, striking out two.


SJO took a 3-1 lead after the first inning and expanded it to 5-1 after two innings. Dowling led off the first with a triple and scored on an RBI single by Dukeman before Kaylee Ward doubled home Dukeman to put SJO up 2-1. An RBI groundout from Katie Poulter pushed SJO’s lead to 3-1 before Dukeman doubled in Trankina and Dowling to make it 5-1 in favor of the Spartans in the second inning.


West Central tied the game at 5 in the top of the fourth, but aggressive base running by Trankina and Dowling put SJO up 7-5 when they both scored on a wild pitch. The Spartans added an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI single by Dowling.


SJO never led in its loss against Moline, falling behind 3-0 by the top of the third inning and trailing 6-1 after four innings.


Dukeman (2 for 4, RBI), Dowling (3 for 4, three runs scored), Savannah Smith (1 for 4, two RBI) and Raegan Crippen (2 for 4) led the way.


The Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning against Monmouth United and extended that advantage to 7-0 after three innings. Witruk paced SJO by throwing five innings and striking out 12 while only allowing one hit and going 2 for 3 with two RBI at the plate, with both her hits resulting in triples. Trankina was also a sparkplug at the plate, going 2 for 2 with four RBI, while Poulter and Smith each drove in a run as Dukeman added three hits.


If SJO wants its season to continue to past Tuesday, the Spartans will need to beat Monticello on Tuesday. SJO owns an 11-1 win in five innings against Monticello when the two Illini Prairie Conference teams met on May 6 in St. Joseph. If SJO knocks off the Sages for the second time this season, the Spartans would play either No. 3 Maroa-Forsyth or No. 5 Argenta-Oreana in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Maroa-Forsyth and Argenta-Oreana are set to play after SJO-Monticello, with the second regional semifinal game set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. SJO owns a 9-0 win against Maroa-Forsyth, the team the Spartans defeated last season to win a sectional title, when the two teams met on April 1 in St. Joseph. The Spartans did not play Argenta-Oreana this season, but the Bombers finished third in state last season in Class 1A.

Banner
Related Posts

SJO football bows out in first round of playoffs

November 4, 2019

November 4, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team saw its season end this past Saturday with a 54-26 loss at Williamsville...

Armstrong, Spartans start off Arteaga Era with unbeaten opening week

November 23, 2021

November 23, 2021

What a way to start the season. And the Drew Arteaga Era. The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team...

5 Question Friday with Charlie Mabry

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

Every Friday we are going to ask an athlete to answer five questions. This week we talked to Charlie Mabry....

Cramer, Jacob come up clutch in SJO girls’ basketball’s win against Tuscola

December 5, 2019

December 5, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team has fared well under pressure so far this season. The Spartans’ latest...

Altenbaumer, Brazelton spark 19-game win streak for SJO baseball

May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022

Successful seasons have become the norm for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. This spring is no exception. The...

Landrus, Waller help SJO baseball get off to strong start

April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024

Playing a competitive schedule is nothing new for the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team.Neither is racking up win after win after...

Rajlich, Mattsey thrive for SJO cross-country in Peoria

September 17, 2019

September 17, 2019

Thank you to Carrie Mattsey photography for the photo! The St. Joseph-Ogden High School team got its first look at...

Frick, Hug and Martinie excel as SJO girls’ basketball opens new year with win

January 9, 2023

January 9, 2023

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team has shown flashes of its potential thisseason. Just not enough on a...

All conference basketball teams announced

April 16, 2021

April 16, 2021

The 2021 Illini Prairie Conference Girls Basketball All Conference Team has been announced. Junior Taylor Wells from St. Joseph-Ogden was...

Spartans win Toyota of Danville Classic as Jacobs earns MVP honors

December 5, 2023

December 5, 2023

How well the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team would fare this season without current Illinois State guard Ty Pence in...

Get to know SJO Volleyball player Peyton Williams

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? I think what makes our team so successful is the determination...

McCarty hurls shutout, SJO baseball cruises to win at STM

April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019

Excellent pitching has defined the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team throughout much of its 2019 season. The trend continued...

Taylor reflects on SJO coaching tenure

August 16, 2021

August 16, 2021

Kevin Taylor realized he needed to make a change. But stepping aside from coaching the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’...

Five SJO softball games to watch for in 2019

March 11, 2019

March 11, 2019

This Team Time Out is sponsored by Kelso Heating and Cooling. The season opener is less than a week away...

Get to know SJO Volleyball Player Mikyla Haley

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? I think the way our team is so close is what...

Comments
Leave a Reply