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Kwasnitza & Knapper

Softball Holds Off No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan, 6-5

3/26/2015 7:20:00 PM

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – It's been a long 13 days since the Illinois College softball team took the field. Weather delays have largely kept the team indoors and forced a pair of postponements to scheduled contests. Somehow the Lady Blues showed no signs of rust on Thursday afternoon, upsetting nationally-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University, 6-5, in the 2015 home opener. IC ups its record to 5-5, while dropping No. 6 IWU to 12-3 on the season.

Illinois Wesleyan threatened in the top of the first inning, putting runners on second and third with one away, but Illinois College starter Amanda Price worked her way out of the jam by getting clean-up hitter Danielle Smith to foul out to catcher Courtney Kwasnitza and five-hole hitter Mary Rankin to pop out to shortstop Emily Hawkins to end the inning.

The Lady Blues then jumped all over Illinois Wesleyan pitcher Stephanie Prentice, immediately taking a 3-0 lead when they had a turn at the plate. Kwasnitza and Lanie Thompson led off the inning with walks and moved up on a passed ball. A Prentice error then allowed Brittany Fanella to reach, scoring Kwasnitza. Sierra McDonald and Betsy Wagers each followed with a RBI groundout before the Titans could get the third out.

It was more of the same in the second inning. Illinois Wesleyan loaded the bases on Price, but a grounder to Hawkins was easily picked and she went to second base unassisted to deny the Titans again. 

Illinois College did its damage in the second inning with two outs. Kwasnitza raced around from first base on a Thompson double to left field for a 4-0 lead, chasing Prentice from the game. The Lady Blues hit reliever Mackenzie Marquis hard as well. Fanella was the first to face her and earned a walk, followed by a single from McDonald to load the bases. Wagers then singled to score two more runs and give IC a 6-0 lead after two complete.

Price stranded a pair of IWU runners in the third and sent the Titans down in order in the fourth inning, before finally running into trouble in the fifth. Amanda Lack scored two runs with a triple and Katie Caulfield brought her home on a single to cut the Illinois College lead in half, 6-3. The sixth inning brought the Titans to within a single run after they collected three hits in the inning, making it 6-5 going to the seventh.

Leah Shumaker got the final out of the sixth inning for Illinois College and she slammed the door shut in the seventh, sitting the Titans down in order on a trio of grounders. 

Price picked up the win on the day, improving to 4-1 on the season. Kwasnitza, Thompson and Fanella each scored two runs for the Lady Blues, with Thompson leading the offense with a  pair of hits.

Illinois College begins Midwest Conference action this weekend with a doubleheader at Lake Forest College. The Lady Blues and Foresters will play two on March 28 beginning at 1 p.m.
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