Softball Splits a Pair on Opening Day

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Illinois College softball team began its 2015 campaign on Sunday with two games at the Rebel Spring Games. The Lady Blues had just enough offense to sneak past Husson University, 1-0, in the opener. Back at it for the nightcap, IC started out well but sputtered late in a 7-3 defeat to Westminster College (Pa.).

Illinois College has another pair of games tomorrow, this time in Kissimmee, Fla. The Lady Blues open with Coe College at 10 a.m. EST, before battling Wheaton College (Mass.) at 12:15 p.m. EST.

Illinois College 1, Husson 0
It was the first game of the season for both teams in the opener, but each appeared to be in mid-season form when it came to pitching and defense. Both starting pitchers – IC's Amanda Price and Husson's Kayla Merrill – went the distance and allowed five hits each while neither team committed an error. The Eagles had more threatening chances in the contest, but Price was able to escape out of every jam and the Lady Blues scratched one run across in the fifth to get the win.

Husson started out the first inning with two on and one out until Price ended the inning on a strikeout and weak pop-out to shortstop Emily Hawkins. The Eagles again put a runner in scoring position in the second inning with one away, but a strikeout and a grounder to short again kept them off the board.

In the third inning, Husson had runners on second and third with one out. This time, a pop fly to second baseman Natalie Halpin and foul ball that found the glove of catcher Courtney Kwasnitza ended the chance. The fourth inning was much of the same. The Eagles put a runner on third with one away, but Price got an important strikeout and yet another grounder to Hawkins brought the inning to a close.

Merrill cruised through the first three frames and it wasn't until the fourth inning that the Lady Blues were able to get a runner into scoring position. That chance ended on an inning-ending double play, but after Price sat the Eagles down in order in the fifth, IC broke through. Elyce Trout led off the bottom half with a triple to left-center and Abby Campbell immediately brought her home on a laced line drive sacrifice to left field.

Despite the heat, Price only got stronger as the game went along. She ended the game by retiring Husson in order in the sixth and seventh, sitting down the last 12 batters she faced. 

Westminster (Pa.) 7, Illinois College 3
In contrast to the opener, both offenses got going in the final game of the day. The score was tied at 3-3 after the second inning, but the game shifted on a controversial call in the bottom of the fourth that allowed the Titans to take a lead and hold on the rest of the way.

In the top of the first inning, Kwasnitza led off with a single and stole second. After moving up to third, Sierra McDonald brought her home for a quick 1-0 lead. Westminster answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Lady Blues went back on top in the second inning. A McDonald single with the bases loaded brought Kinzie Verhines and Hannah Knapper around to score, giving IC a momentary 3-2 edge.

Westminster would tie the game in the bottom of that inning and it was still 3-3 when the Titans came up to bat in the fourth. A bunt from Francesca Nardone was perfectly placed down the third base line and Knapper came up throwing trying to get the out. The throw ended up in the outfield though, and Nardone got to second and rounded for third. Brittany Fanella fielded the ball in right field and launched a strike to Knapper at third, but after initially calling Nardone out on the play, the umpires convened and ended up changing the call. The Titans would follow with a series of hits to take a 6-3 lead after four.

From that far behind, Illinois College couldn't make up the gap. Westminster's Ashley Smith had come on in relief in the second inning and gave up only two hits in 5.2 innings of work. She stranded one Lady Blues runner in the sixth inning, then put IC down in order in the seventh to end it.

McDonald ended the game 2-for-4 with all three RBIs. Campbell was the other IC batter with more than one hit, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Leah Shumaker took the loss for the Lady Blues, while DJ Troli worked two innings of relief.