By: The Lady Blues had only three hits in their game on Thursday, but had them at the right time. A four-run third inning lifted IC past the Yellow Jackets.
Box Score WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Behind another complete game effort from
Amanda Price, the Illinois College softball team came away with a 4-1 win over Defiance College on Thursday morning. The Lady Blues pushed all four of their runs across in the third inning thanks in part to three Yellow Jacket errors in the frame. IC improves to 4-3 on its trip to Florida, which wraps up tomorrow.
Both offenses applied pressure in the first inning, but neither could find a breakthrough against Price or Defiance starter Sarah Kaya. The two pitchers then sat down their opposition in 1-2-3 order in the second inning. The Yellow Jackets managed one hit in the third inning with two outs, but nothing came of it as Megan Warren grounded out to
Hannah Knapper to end the inning.
Illinois College would find all the offense it needed in the bottom of the third.
Abby Campbell led off the inning with a walk and was on second after a wild pitch when
Lanie Thompson tripled over the head of the right fielder to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
Sierra McDonald followed with a hot shot to short that was bobbled, getting Thompson home and putting McDonald on base with only one away. Next up,
Brittany Fanella reached on another error from the shortstop to put two runners aboard.
Following a stoppage in play for a defensive substitution,
Betsy Wagers slapped a single down the left field line to load the bases.
Emily Hawkins then hit a hard grounder right back to the pitcher, who misplayed the hop and was late on a throw to home. Knapper ended the inning by hustling down the line to ensure that Defiance only recorded one out on a grounder to second, allowing Fanella to get home on the play for a 4-0 lead through three complete.
Price got through the Yellow Jacket lineup in order in the fourth inning and gave up just a single in the fifth to maintain the four-run advantage. Defiance was able to string together some hits in the sixth to scratch one run across, but Hawkins made a heads-up play at short to get the lead runner on a fielder's choice and
Natalie Halpin made the grab on a line drive to end the inning.
Defiance made one last push in the top of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate with two down, but Warren sent a fly ball out to shallow center and Campbell came in to make a diving catch and end the game.
Price worked all seven innings and recorded three strikeouts in the game, improving her record to 3-1 on the season.
Illinois College concludes its time in Florida on Friday with a doubleheader against Catholic University. The Lady Blues and Cardinals will start their first game at 12:15 p.m. EST, with another slated for 2:30 p.m. EST.
