East Peoria, Ill. - Nivarra Oredina hit two home runs, a double, and drove in four runs to help the Illinois Central College softball team to a split with Heartland in the Region 24 opener for both teams.   The Hawks snuck out of Game 1 with an 11-10 win but the Cougars came back with a vengeance in the nightcap, winning 10-2 in five innings as Broghan Hall shut down the Hawk offense to get the victory.

GAME 1 | HEARTLAND 11, ICC COUGARS 10
ICC opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on singles by Shylar Boze and Oredina and then Marlee Brown had a two-RBI single to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.  Neither team was able to score in the second inning but the Hawks put up a 5-spot in the top of the third on two solo homers, a double, and three walks to go on top 5-3.

The Cougars got one run back in the bottom half as Oredina walked, Boze singled, and Brown hit an RBI single to center field to pull ICC to within 5-4.  The Hawks pushed three runs across the plate in the top of the 5th on two walks, an error, and home run to go up 8-4, but Oredina answered with a solo blast to right field to keep ICC within striking distance at 8-5.

ICC got just the rally they needed in the bottom of the sixth.  Marley Williamson singled to center with two outs on a 1-2 pitch to get things started and then Oredina again homered, this time to center field, making the score 8-7.  Boze then doubled off the right field wall, Brown walked, and then Gracie Guenther hit a three-run shot to right field to put the Cougars ahead 10-8.  

The lead, unfortunately, was short-lived as Heartland led off the top of the seventh with a single and followed that up with a home run to knot the score at 10-all.  Two batters later, the Hawks connected on a solo shot for the go-ahead and what would be winning run as ICC was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh.    

HITTING STATS
Nivarra Oredina | 3-5, 2 home runs, 3 RBI
Shylar Boze | 3-5, double, 2 singles
Gracie Guenther | 2-4, home run, 4 RBI, single
Marlee Brown | 2-2, 2 singles, 2 RBI

PITCHING STATS
Hanna Evans (L)|  7 IP,  13 H, 12 K 

GAME 2 | ICC COUGARS 10, HEARTLAND 2  (5 innings)
Broghan Hall took care of business and dominated on the mound in Game 2 and got more than enough run support as the Cougars earned the split.  ICC struck first in the bottom of the 1st lead on a two-RBI double by Oredina.  Boze had an RBI single, and Zoe Eeten doubled to give ICC a 5-0 advantage.  

The Hawks did score two runs in the top of the second, but ICC put the Hawks away in the bottom of the second as Eeten blasted a two-run home run (scoring Reagan Linder who had singled) to go up 8-2.  The Cougars added another run in the bottom of the third as Madi Kessler reached on an error and scored on a Linder grounder.  

Hall and the Cougar defense sailed through the rest of the game and the Cougars ended it in the fifth when Linder walked, Oredina doubled, and Boze singled to score Linder.

HITTING STATS
Shylar Boze | 4-4, 3 RBI
Reagan Linder | 1-2, single, RBI
Nivarra Oredina 2-3, RBI, double
Zoe Eeten | 2-3, 2 RBI, home run

PITCHING STATS
Broghan Hall (W)|  5 IP,  3 H, 3 K 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ Lewis & Clark 
Tuesday, March 26th - 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM
Godfrey Ball Park - Godfrey, Illinois
Watch Live (GameChanger)
Live Stats (GameChanger)