Roman Reaches 100 Career Wins as Lady Blues Split MWC Openers

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Illinois College softball team opened Midwest Conference play with a split of two road games at Grinnell College. The Lady Blues began the day with a 4-2 victory, giving Head Coach Meghan Roman her 100th career victory in the process. Grinnell came back strong in the second contest, ending the game early with a 10-0 win in five innings. IC is now 9-7 (1-1 MWC) on the year, while the Pioneers moved to 12-5 (1-1 MWC).

Next up for Illinois College is a road doubleheader at Cornell College on April 8. With poor weather once again the forecast this weekend, there is a chance that the Rams and Lady Blues will have to postpone the games and make them up at a later date. 

Game One: Illinois College 4, Grinnell 2
The Lady Blues overcame an early deficit with a four-run second inning, giving Mariah Hedges all the offense she would need. Hedges went the distance and stranded eight runners, improving to 5-3 on the year.

Grinnell took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when lead-off hitter Kayla Morrissey was hit with a pitch and driven in on a one-out single from Darice Wheeler. Illinois College had its first two hitters of the second inning retired, but Sam Seggerman was hit with a pitch to keep the inning alive. She then stole second and was driven in on a single by Hailey Lesser. Lesser then stole second as well and came home on a Jackie Reilly single. The trend continued as Reilly stole both second and third and Shelby Koehler drew a walk and stole second. A wild pitch from Wheeler brought Reilly home to give Illinois College the lead, and Savanna Brady ended the two-out rally for the Lady Blues with a single to score Koehler.

Illinois College only managed three baserunners the rest of the way, but the three-run lead was enough for Hedges. Grinnell left two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning and could only bring one home in the fifth before the Lady Blues got out of the jam. Hedges sat down the Pioneers in order in the sixth and worked around a lead-off single in the seventh to clinch the victory.

Reilly collected three of the eight hits for the Lady Blues in the game, going 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.

Game Two: Grinnell 10, Illinois College 0 (5 innings)
Grinnell took another early lead in the second game and this time the Illinois College offense didn't have the answer. The Pioneers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, tacked on another run in the second, and then scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth. After taking the loss in the first game, Wheeler came back to throw four innings and pick up the victory in game two. Jess Feig fell to 3-3 with the loss.

Four players had two hits apiece for Grinnell in the second game. Flynn Johnson led the Pioneers with three runs driven in.

The Lady Blues could only put together four hits against Wheeler, with Reilly, Brady, Ryleigh Keith and Elyce Trout getting one each.