East Peoria, Ill. - Kelsey Gillette's walk-off double lifted the Illinois Central College softball team to a 6-5 win over Heartland on Tuesday in Region 24 action at Thome Field.  Gillette's big hit was one of 22 hits on the day for the Cougars, who also took the nightcap 7-5.  ICC's record is now 19-13 overall and 12-6 in Region 24 while Heartland fell to 8-22 overall and 3-15 in Region 24.  

Game 1:  ICC 6, Heartland 5
After Heartland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, the Cougars answered with two runs of their own in the home half of the first.  Savanah Clifton hit a lead-off single and was replaced by pinch-runner Madi Kessler.  Kessler advanced to third on Marley Williamson's single and eventually scored on a beautiful squeeze bunt by Olivia Stirnaman, on which Williamson also advanced to third.  Williamson scored on an error, putting ICC ahead 2-1.

Kiersten Manning bopped a solo home run to center field to lead off the third inning, her team-leading ninth blast of the season.  Heartland responded by scoring two runs in the top of the fourth on three singles and a walk to tie things up at 3-3.  The Cougars grabbed their lead back in the bottom half as Gracie White doubled and Brooke Cordray singled, giving ICC the lead at 4-3.

Both teams saved their best for last.  In the top of the seventh, Heartland hit three singles and used a walk and an ICC error to plate two runs and go up 5-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh. 

For the Cougars, Shylar Boze got things brewing by leading off with a single.  Heartland recorded two outs but then Stirnaman drew a walk putting runners at first and second.  A passed ball moved the runners to second and third and then Gillette smacked a 3-1 pitch into the left-center gap for the game winner.

On the mound, Kiersten Manning had 3 strikeouts in two innings while Amber Lee pitched a total of five innings (three scoreless) and fanned two Hawks.  

Hitting
Kelsey Gillette | 1-1, double, 2 RBI
Olivia Drish | 1-3, RBI
Kiersten Manning | 1-4, HR, RBI
Olivia Stirnaman | RBI
Shylar Boze | 2-4
Brooke Cordray | 2-2
Gracie White | 1-4, double

Pitching
Kiersten Manning | 2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3K
Amber Lee | 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 K


Game 2:  ICC 7, Heartland 5
Heartland strung together four singles and a walk to forge a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.  The Cougars got on the board thanks to a solo home run from Olivia Drish in the bottom of the third, her ninth dinger of the season (tying Manning for the team lead) to draw to within 2-1.

Williamson got in the swing of things in the bottom of the fourth inning as she jacked a pitch to left center for her third homer of the season, tying the score at 2-2.  ICC scored again in the fifth inning as Cordray hit a single and stole second.  She advanced to third on a fielder's choice and then scored on an error as ICC held a 3-2 advantage.

The Hawks had a double and single in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-all.

The bottom of the sixth was pivotal for ICC as their bats heated up thanks to Alyssa Beltran's lead-off single.  White had a two-out single which advanced Beltran to third.  Cordray stepped up and hit a two-RBI double, making the score 5-3.  Drish followed that up with another double to score a run, and Clifton had an RBI single to put ICC ahead 7-3.

HCC did not go down easy as they tallied two runs in the top of the seventh on a single, double, single and scoring on an error before the Cougars put the clamps on.  Drish had a solid effort on the mound in striking out seven batters on the night.  

Hitting
Olivia Drish | 3-4, HR, double, 2 RBI
Brooke Cordray | 2-4, double, 2 RBI
Marley Williamson | 1-3, HR
Savanah Clifton 1-4, RBI
Kelsey Gillette | 2-3
Alyssa Beltran | 2-3

Pitching
Olivia Drish | 7 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 K

Next up:  Doubleheader on Wednesday, April 19 at (RV) Danville Area CC in Danville, IL at 3pm