JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College softball team split a Midwest Conference doubleheader with Grinnell on Senior Day, Sunday at Jessica Kamp Field.
The Lady Blues took the opener, 4-0, before the Pioneers posted a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.
The Lady Blues are now 22-16 overall and 11-3 in conference play. Grinnell moved to 11-25 and 8-6.
Game 1: IC 4 GC 0
IC's
Jordan Closs continued her dominance in the circle, tossing a seven-hit shutout with eight strikeouts. The junior has now thrown 46 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
The Lady Blues took the lead in the opening inning when
Taylor Henry stroked a sacrifice fly to bring home
Brooke Loveall, who had tripled. That same combination hooked up again in the third inning. Once again, Loveall tripled, and this time Henry doubled to bring her home.
IC posted some insurance in the fifth when
Kayla Serpa drove home
Raegan Rezba on a ground out. The final run of the contest came in the sixth when IC's
Allison Fraley stole home.
Game 2: GC 6 IC 4
The Pioneers opened the scoring with six runs in the top of the third inning and then held off an IC rally.
The Lady Blues began to chip away at the lead in the fourth inning when
Shelby Seiler singled home two runs. Seiler continued to cut into the Grinnell lead in the sixth when she stroked an RBI single to make it 6-3. IC had one last rally in the seventh when Henry's RBI single cut the Grinnell lead to 6-4, but the Pioneers were able to hold on for the victory.
Seiler led IC with three RBI while
Elysia Hand and Henry each had a pair of hits.
Avery Fritz allowed a run on four hits in her 4 2/3 innings of relief.
Blue Notes
IC has now won 9 of its last 10 contests.
Up Next
The Lady Blues wrap up the regular season with a make-up doubleheader at Knox on Friday. The two teams were scheduled to meet last Tuesday and the first game was underway before thunderstorms halted play for the night. Friday's contests start at 3:00 p.m.
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