Lady Blues Fall Twice at Illinois Wesleyan

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois College softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader, losing 13-8 and 11-8, at a blustery Inspiration Field on Tuesday.

The Lady Blues fell to 5-12 while the Titans improved to 10-4.

Game 1 (IWU 13 IC 8)
After Illinois Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, IC roared back with a pair of their own in the second when Elysia Hand singled to center field, scoring Calynn Gicante. Delaney Melton then drove in Hand on a ground out.

IWU answered with a run in the second to make it 3-2. The Lady Blues then proceeded to take the lead back at 4-3 in the top of the third as Emma Hardiek doubled home Gicante before Melton again drove in Hand, this time with a single. The Titans put the game out of reach with an eight spot in their half of the third.

IC plated three in the fourth thanks to a Gicante sacrifice fly, and an RBI double by Hand. Hand later scored on a throwing error. The Lady Blues also tallied in the seventh on a solo home run by Megan Doolittle.

Hand rapped out three hits with her two RBI to pace the IC offense. Gicante, Hardiek, and Alison Mortland each collected a pair of hits.

Julia Drake suffered the loss for IC, allowing 11 runs and 11 hits while striking out two in her 2 1/3 innings of work. Hannah Crouch finished things up by tossing the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

Game 2 (IWU 11 IC 8)
The Titans jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning before the Lady Blues began to chip away. 

IC got two runs back in the second on a Taylor Henry RBI double and a Kendall Cole single. In the third, Jaycie Edwards drilled a two-run home run and Henry smacked an RBI triple to cut the deficit to 6-5. The Lady Blues took the lead in the fourth when Gicante doubled home Kayla Serpa before Claudia Adam scored on a throwing error later in the play.

IWU came back with two in their half of the fourth to make it 9-7 before IC cut into the lead when Cole singled home Emma Nicholson to make it 9-8. That was as close as the Lady Blues would get as the Titans added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth to close out the scoring.

Henry had a team-high three hits with two RBI. Gicante, Edwards, and Nicholson each collected a pair of hits while Edwards and Cole each had two RBI.

In the circle, Crouch took the loss allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits. Henry came on in relief and tossed six innings, giving up five runs (three earned) with five strikeouts.

Up Next
Illinois College will travel to Millikin for a doubleheader on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for Noon.