Win and advance. 

It’s that simple. 

After defeating Cor Jesu 16-1 on Tuesday in the first round of districts, the Owls softball team will play Rosati-Kain in the semifinals at 6:30 pm today at home. 

With the leadership of seniors Piper Montgomery, Gabby Dueing, Peyton Irwin and Haley Lynch, the Owls have won six of their past eight games. 

On the defensive side, the Owls are led by freshmen pitcher Riley Fendler. Heading into districts, she had pitched 83.3 innings with a record of 8-8. 

On the offensive side, the Owls are led by Southern Illinois (Edwardsville) commit Piper Montgomery (senior). Montgomery is batting with a .493 average and has a total of five home runs. She is also leading in RBI’s, on base percentage, slugging and doubles. 

Junior Riley Siegel leads the team with a .514 batting average and nine home runs. 

Riley Siegel said, “We have a lot of good hitters on the team, so to be on top feels like a huge accomplishment.”  

The Owls seem to be peaking at the right time. 

Montgomery said, “Our season is going pretty good. We lost a lot of seniors last year, so finding people to fill their positions in the beginning was difficult, but the last few games we had some people fill some spots and really step up.” 

If the Owls beat Rosati-Kain in the semifinals, they will likely face No. 1 seed Webster Groves tomorrow. 

Montgomery said,  “I am most excited about seeing how we match up against the  St. Louis County teams and hopefully pulling off some upsets.” 

The Owls believe they have the ability to take home a district championship. 

Siegel said, “As long as we all come out with the right mindset and are ready to play, I’d say we have a pretty good chance at being district champions.”