JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College softball team opened conference play by splitting with Ripon on Sunday at Jessica Kamp Field.
IC took the opening game, 8-0 in five innings, and Ripon won the second contest, 3-2.
The Lady Blues are now 10-12 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Red Hawks moved to 5-15 and 3-1 in league action.
Game 1: IC 8 Ripon 0 (5 innings)
The Lady Blues made the most of their first conference match-up of the season, cruising to victory in five innings.
After going scoreless in the first inning, IC tallied all eight runs in the final three frames.
Shelby Seiler drove home
Delaney Melton with the first run in the second. The Lady Blues scored three times in the third. After a
Taylor Henry sacrifice fly,
Elysia Hand drilled a two-run, inside-the-park home run. A
Brooke Loveall RBI triple, another sacrifice fly by Henry, and a two-run single by Seiler closed out the scoring for IC.
Jordan Closs cruised to the victory in the circle, allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts in her four innings of work.
Avery Fritz finished up the final inning, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout.
Seiler collected three hits for IC, while Hand and Loveall each had a pair.
Game 2: Ripon 3 IC 2
The Red Hawks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the first inning.
The Lady Blues got one back in their half of the first on a double by Hand that scored Loveall, who had tripled for the third time on the day, earlier in the inning. IC tied the contest in the third when Henry scampered home on a fielder's choice by Hand.
Henry suffered the loss in the circle, allowing nine hits and three runs with four strikeouts in her seven innings of work.
Up Next
IC wraps up the conference weekend with a league contest with Lawrence tomorrow at Jessica Kamp Field. The doubleheader, which was rescheduled due to inclement weather on Saturday, will start at 1:00 p.m.
