Springfield, Ill. - Rust was not a factor for the Illinois Central College softball team as the Cougars swept Lincoln Land 8-0 and 10-7 in Region 24 action on Tuesday afternoon at LLCC Softball Field.  The Cougars, who last played 24 days ago on March 4, belted 11 hits in both games, including two home runs, to start 2-0 in Region 24 play.

Game 1 Recap (ICC 8, LLCC 0)
ICC scored five runs in the top of the second on four singles and three Logger errors.  Pitcher Kiersten Manning helped her own cause by leading the inning off with a hit which was followed by a Shylar Boze single.  Both scored on a two-out single by Gracie White and then Kylie Hyde and Olivia Drish each had RBI singles to put ICC up 5-0.

The Cougars plated two runs in the fourth on a Hyde single, Olivia Stirnaman triple, and Drish single to make the score 7-0.  The game ended after five innings as White had an RBI single in the top of the fifth.

Manning picked up the win, pitching all five innings and striking out eight batters.

Hitting leaders
Shylar Boze | 2-3
Gracie White | 2-3, 2 RBI
Olivia Drish | 2-3, 2 RBI
Kylie Hyde | 2-3, 1 RBI
Olivia Stirnaman | 1 RBI, triple

Pitching
Kiersten Manning | 5 IP, 8 K


Game 2 Recap (ICC 10, LLCC 7
Manning had an RBI single to get things going in the first as ICC went ahead 1-0, but the Logger bats got going in the bottom of the inning to score two runs and go up 2-1.

In the top of the third inning, Drish singled, Manning doubled, and then Alyssa Beltran smashed a three-run homer to left to give ICC the lead back at 4-2.

Drish and the Cougars ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth as LLCC scratched three runs across the plate to go up 5-4, but Manning responded with a two-run dinger as ICC went back ahead 6-5.  

LLCC tied the game in the bottom of the fifth at 6-all.  The Cougars took the lead for good in the top of the sixth as Amber Lee singled, LLCC had an error, and Marley Williamson had a sacrifice fly to score a run.  Stirnaman added an RBI single to put the Cougars up 8-6.  

The Loggers scored a run in the bottom of the sixth but Kelsey Gillette had a two-RBI double in the top of the seventh to give the Cougars some insurance.

Hitting Leaders
Kiersten Manning | 3-3, 2 RBI
Olivia Stirnaman | 2-4, 1 RBI
Alyssa Beltran | 1-3, 3 RBI
Kelsey Gillette | 1-4, 2 RBI
Marley Williamson | 1 RBI

Pitching
Olivia Drish | 5 IP, 1 K for the win
Amber Lee | 2 IP

Next up: 
The Cougars will continue Region 24 play as they head to Parkland on Wednesday, March 29 for a 2pm double-header in Champaign.