LAKE FOREST, Ill. – After losing its first game of the day, the Illinois College softball team bounced back in the afternoon to win and advance in the Midwest Conference Tournament on Friday at Mohr Field.
The Lady Blues dropped their opening round game to Grinnell, 13-0, before coming back to shutout Cornell, 8-0, in the afternoon contest.
IC is now 20-21 on the season.
Grinnell 13 IC 0
The Pioneers jumped ahead quickly, scoring three runs in the first and two more in the second before putting the game away with six in the third and two more in the fourth.
IC managed just three hits off Grinnell pitchers Christin Hartman and Kathryn Vermeulen – a double by
Jaycie Edwards and singles from
Calynn Gicante and
Elysia Hand.
Julia Drake suffered the loss in the circle, allowing eight runs and nine hits with four strikeouts in her two innings of work.
Taylor Henry tossed the final two innings, allowing five runs on five hits.
IC 8 Cornell 0
In the game where she became IC's all-time strikeout leader, Drake tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout with six strikeouts. Drake now has a school record 429 career K's.
The Lady Blues gave Drake all the support she needed when they scored three times in the top of the first inning. Henry walked with the bases loaded to bring in the first run before
Brooke Loveall stroked a two-run single that scored Edwards and
Cheyenne Anderson.
IC scored a solo run in the fourth when
Kayla Serpa drove home
Allison Mortland with a single and then tacked on another in the fifth as
Claudia Adam drove home Henry with a single.
Serpa scored on a wild pitch in the sixth before IC closed out the scoring in the seventh with two runs. Hand tripled to drive in pinch runner
Lindsey Heinz before she came home on another wild pitch.
Up Next
IC will play Lake Forest at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.Â
