DECATUR, Ill. – The Illinois College softball team wrapped up non-conference play on Wednesday night with a split of a matchup with Millikin University. Behind
Sydney Hood's five-hitter, the Lady Blues won the opener by a score of 4-1. The Big Blue jumped out to a big lead in game two and held for a 6-2 win. IC is now 15-13 on the year while Millikin moves to 23-9.
The Lady Blues wrap up the regular season this weekend in Wisconsin, closing out Midwest Conference play with doubleheaders against Beloit College and Lawrence University.
Game One: Illinois College 4, Millikin 1
In Wednesday's opener, Illinois College managed only three hits but made them count thanks to a three-run fifth inning that broke open a 1-1 tie.
Sydney Hood went the distance and held Millikin to five hits. The Big Blue scored in the first inning but were held in check from there as Hood improved to 8-5 on the year.
Millikin had two of its five hits in the top of the first, scoring on a wild pitch from Hood to take a 1-0 lead. Illinois College tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning when
Marissa Knowles walked to lead off the inning and made it to third with two outs.
Christin Mathias came up with tying hit, a RBI single to left.
After Millikin left two in scoring position in the fourth inning, Illinois College scored three in the top of the fifth.
Sam Seggerman tripled in
Jessica Belzer and
Madisyn Webster for a 3-1 lead before
Jackie Reilly grounded out to bring Seggerman in.
The Big Blue brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the seventh, but a pair of groundouts ended it.
Game Two: Millikin 6, Illinois College 2
In the second game of the night, Reilly was stranded on third to start off the first inning and Millikin followed by scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom half of the frame to open up an early cushion against
Jess Feig.
The Big Blue added two more runs in the bottom of the third to increase their lead to 5-0. Illinois College tried to get back in it, scoring one run in both the fourth and sixth innings, but it wasn't enough. Webster singled in the fourth inning to bring
Savanna Brady home from third. Two innings later, an infield single from
Ryleigh Keith scored
Hailey Lesser to make it 5-2. Millikin scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to help put IC away.
Feig fell to 6-8 with the loss.
Maddie Nichols came in for 4.0 innings of relief. Both were charged with three earned runs while Nichols struck out two.
