GRINNELL, Iowa – For the third time in the month of April, Illinois College freshman
Sydney Hood has been named the Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week. Hood put together a 3-0 record with a 0.33 ERA last week in wins over Millikin University, Beloit College and Lawrence University.
Hood threw complete games in all of her victories, ending the week with 21.0 innings pitched and 16 strikeouts. In those three starts, she gave up two total runs with just one of them being earned. That lone earned run came in the first inning of Wednesday's start at Millikin when the Big Blue scored on a wild pitch. After that, Hood shut Millikin down and Illinois College rallied for a 4-1 victory.
On Friday night, Hood held Beloit to only four hits in the game, a 6-1 Illinois College victory. The Buccaneers scored their only run of the game when they collected one of their hits and the throw from the outfield got away from the catcher, allowing the runner on third to score an unearned run. Hood struck out eight in the game.
She ended her week by going the distance in a 3-0 shutout of Lawrence University on Saturday in Appleton, Wis. Hood struck out six in that one, giving up only five hits to a solid LU offense. She three times sat the Vikings down in order that afternoon and lowered her ERA to a MWC-best 1.25 while improving to 10-5 overall on the season.
The 4-0 weekend against MWC foes for Illinois College clinched a spot in the MWC Tournament, the team's fourth straight trip to the postseason. As of this afternoon, there is a three-way tie at 13-5 in the conference standings, with Lake Forest College at 13-3. If the Foresters take one of their two remaining games with Lawrence, they will host the MWC Tournament on May 3 and 4 in suburban Chicago. If the Vikings sweep Lake Forest today, Illinois College will host the tournament at Jessica Kamp Field.
