Softball Bats Around to Down Lawrence, Earn Saturday Split at MWC Classic

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

JANESVILLE, Wis. – The Illinois College softball team shook off a tough 4-3 loss to Beloit College in Saturday's early game to earn a 7-1 victory over Lawrence University in the afternoon, giving IC its first win of the MWC Classic. The Lady Blues moved to 9-13 (3-5 MWC) on the season.

After back-to-back doubleheaders the past two days, Illinois College wraps up the MWC Classic tomorrow morning with a 10 a.m. game against Ripon College. The Lady Blues return home to play Millikin University in a non-conference doubleheader on April 16 beginning at 3 p.m.

Game One: Beloit 4, Illinois College 3
A frustrating end to the day on Friday spilled into the first inning on Saturday as Beloit scored four times and somehow held on to the lead all the way to the finish. All seven runs in the game were scored in the first two innings before both starting pitchers settled in and shut each team's offense down for the final five frames.

The Buccaneers didn't hit Leah Shumaker hard, but still loaded the bases on a hit batter, error and bunt single back to the circle with no outs in the first inning. From there, a dink single into right field was enough to score two runs. A single into center and a groundout to Sierra McDonald at first both brought a run in as well for Beloit, giving it a 4-0 lead before Illinois College had come to the plate.

The Lady Blues were quick to get back in the game. Courtney Kwasnitza led off the bottom of the first with a double and Brittany Fanella singled to move her to third base. After a steal of second from Fanella, McDonald grounded out to third but was able to bring Kwasnitza home for IC's first run of the game. Later in the inning, Elyce Trout grounded out to second to score Fanella to make it 4-2.

Beloit managed a pair of infield singles in the second inning, but Shumaker worked out of the jam with Kwasnitza throwing out a runner at second and inducing a pop-up in foul territory that was gloved by Hannah Knapper.

In the bottom of the second, Illinois College closed the gap even more. The Buccaneers had a chance to get out of the inning but a foul ball in right field that would have been the third out was dropped. Given another opportunity, Kinzie Verhines pulled a ball down the left field line that cleared the fence for a solo shot to cut it to a 4-3 game.

Shockingly, after all the offense in first two innings, the teams wouldn't score another run the rest of the way. After a combined nine hits at the end of the second inning, they would have only six more in the final five frames. Illinois College's best chances to tie or lead came in the third inning when Fanella was stranded on third and in the sixth when two runners were left aboard. In the seventh, Verhines led off with a walk and advanced into scoring position, but Jen Zucker was able to get the final two outs she needed to cap off her complete game victory.

Shumaker was solid after a rocky first inning, but took the loss despite her complete game and seven strikeouts. Fanella ended with two of IC's six hits in the game.

Game Two: Illinois College 7, Lawrence 1
With two of the three losses at the MWC Classic occurring by just a single run, Illinois College could have been excused for feeling some déjà vu when Lawrence took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. This time the Lady Blues exploded for seven runs though, batting around in the inning and winning comfortably in the end.

Fanella belted a one-out double to straight-away center in the top of the first inning but that was a rare moment of offense early in the game for IC. The Lady Blues had only three hits through five innings on Lawrence starter Kara Vance. With their starter in control, the Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a single into left field and it appeared for some time that the single run advantage would hold up.

While Illinois College worked through its struggles at the plate, starter Amanda Price kept IC in it with an ability to strand runners and turn double plays. Lawrence left two on base in the second inning and two more in the third when Abby Campbell threw out Savanna Marsicek from center field to keep a run off the board. In the fourth, Price snagged a line drive back at her and doubled Kori Looker off first to end the inning. In the fifth, Emily Hawkins made a diving stop of a hard line drive to shortstop to keep the runners advancing past second base and Price was able to end the threat with a fly out to Fanella in left.

In the top of the sixth, Lawrence threatened yet again. With one out, Price made another spearing grab of a line drive back at her and threw to Hawkins to get Marisa Thackston doubled off of second. That set the stage for the fireworks the Lady Blues had in store in the bottom of the inning.

Lead-off hitter McDonald started things with a double deep to right-center. After Mickalah York entered as a pinch-runner, Verhines singled and then went to second on the throw home. Next up, Trout grounded into a fielder's choice ground ball but the play went home and York was able to beat the tag to knot the score up at 1-1. Hawkins followed that with a single on a two-strike count, scoring Verhines and putting the Lady Blues ahead, 2-1.

It would only get worse for the pitcher, Vance. Knapper loaded the bases with a single back up the middle that shortstop Amanda Jaskolski could only knock down. With two away, Lawrence went to relief pitcher Liz Barthels, but Kwasnitza singled in a run to up the margin to 3-1 and a Vikings error ended up scoring two more. All the way back around to McDonald, the sophomore ended the inning as she began it, hitting a double into right field and bringing Fanella and Kwasnitza home. Given a six-run cushion, Price had no problem getting Lawrence in the seventh to pick up the win.

After her complete game win, Price upped her record to 6-4 on the year. McDonald, Verhines and Knapper all had two hits apiece for the Lady Blues in the game.