Normal, Ill. - The Illinois Central College softball team used a strong hitting performance to cruise to a 15-1, 8-4 sweep over Heartland in Region 24 action on Wednesday afternoon at the Corn Crib, their second sweep in as many days.  The Cougars cranked four home runs in the opener and had five extra base hits in the nightcap to total 29 hits on the day, moving their record to 14-10 overall and 7-3 in Region 24.  Heartland dropped to 6-12, 1-7.  

Game 1 (ICC 15, Heartland 1)
The Cougars went up 3-0 thanks to Gracie White doubling and scoring on a passed ball.  Olivia Drish singled and Kiersten Manning belted a two-run homer to left field.   

The Hawks threatened in the bottom half of the inning with a walk and double but Manning shut the door on any HCC scoring opportunity with three consecutive strikeouts as the score remained 3-0.

ICC added five runs in the top of the second inning as Marley Williamson tripled and Kylie Hyde singled to get a rally going. Williamson scored on a White bunt and then Olivia Stirnaman smacked a single to make it 6-0.  Olivia Drish put two more runs on the board with a two-run homer as ICC went up 8-0.

Heartland had a solo home run in the bottom of the second but ICC wasted no time in padding their lead as Savanah Clifton singled and Alicia Casas homered.   Stirnaman added an RBI single to score White to make the score 11-1.

The hot hitting continued in the fourth as Manning went yard for a second time, this time a solo shot.  Shylar Boze poked a two-RBI single and Savanah Clifton singled for an RBI in the fifth. 

Manning controlled the game on the mound, scattering five hits and striking out nine.  

Hitting leaders
Kiersten Manning | 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Olivia Drish | 2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Olivia Stirnaman | 2-4, 2 RBI
Shylar Boze | 1-4, 2 RBI
Alicia Casas | 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
Marley Williamson | 2-4, triple
Gracie White | 1-3, RBI

Pitching
Kiersten Manning | 5 IP, 9 K


Game 2 (ICC 8, Heartland 4)
The game was scoreless until the third inning when Kelsey Gillette tripled and scored on a Stirnaman sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.  The Hawks took their only lead of the day at 2-1 with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the third but ICC went back up 3-2 on an Alyssa Beltran solo home run and Hyde RBI single.  

Neither team scored until the top of the sixth when the Cougars picked up three runs.  Brooke Cordray doubled and crossed home on a Kelsey Gillette RBI single.  Stirnaman had an RBI double and scored on a Williamson double to give ICC a 6-2 cushion.

Heartland scratched two runs in the bottom of the sixth to draw to within 6-4 heading into the final frame.  The Cougars added insurance as Beltran and Cordray had back-to-back two-out singles and scored on Gillette's double for the final margin. 

Hitting leaders
Kelsey Gillette | 2-4, double, 3 RBI
Olivia Stirnaman | 2-3, double, 2 RBI
Kylie Hyde | 2-4, triple, RBI
Brooke Cordray |  3-4, double
Marley Williamson | 2-4, double, RBI
Alyssa Beltran | 2-4, RBI

Pitching
Olivia Drish | 7 IP, 4 K

Next up:  Home doubleheader on Monday, April 10 vs. Lincoln Land at 3pm at Thome Field