Springfield, Ill. - Illinois Central College softball head coach Heather Doty and assistant coach Kathy Holzhauer earned their 500th win at ICC on Tuesday as the Cougars defeated Lincoln Land 14-6 and 11-5 at LLCC Softball Field in Region 24 action.  The duo have coached every game together since starting in 2006 and guided the Cougars to their second sweep in as many days to move the Cougars' record to 11-9 overall and 5-3 in Region 24.  LLCC dropped to 10-21 overall and 5-9 in the Region.

Sophomores Gracie White and Shylar Boze led the offensive attack, with White going 7-9 on the day (two doubles and a triple) and Boze going 5-9 with eight RBI and two doubles.  Nivarra Oredina smacked a two-run homer in the nightcap while Hanna Evans and Broghan Hall picked up the wins in the circle.

GAME 1:  ILLINOIS CENTRAL 14, LINCOLN LAND 6
The Cougars pounded out 21 hits in the opener, including seven doubles to get Doty and Holzhauer their milestone win. Gracie White and Marley Williamson each had two doubles and collected four hits, while five players had multiple RBI games:  Williamson (3), Shylar Boze (2), Marlee Brown (2), Graci Guenther (2), and Zoe Eeten (2).

ICC jumped out to a 5-0 lead as White led off the game with a double to left center followed by a Williamson walk and Nivarra Oredina single.  Back-to-back singles by Boze and Brown gave ICC a 3-0 lead.  Eeten hit a double to center field to score two more runs for the 5-0 lead.  

In the top of the third, Hanna Evans and Madi Kessler started a two-out rally with back-to-back singles and then White and Williamson each poked singles to center field to help ICC take an 8-0 lead.

The White & Williamson duo tallied another run in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back doubles to put the Cougars up 9-2.   

LLCC responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 9-5.  But the Cougars shut the door with more White & Williamson to score a five-run inning in the final frame as White singled, Williamson doubled, and Oredina and Boze each walked. Guenther got in on the action with a two-RBI single and Eeten and Evans each singled to score runs for the final margin.

COUGAR BATTING
Gracie White | 4-5, RBI, 2 doubles
Marley Williamson | 4-4, 3 RBI, 2 doubles
Shylar Boze | 2-4, 2 RBI, double
Marlee Brown | 1-, 2 RBI
Graci Guenther | 2-5, 2 RBI, double
Madi Kessler | 2-5

COUGAR PITCHING
Hanna Evans | 7 IP, 10 K


COUGAR GAME 2:  ILLINOIS CENTRAL 11, LINCOLN LAND 5
 White picked up in Game 2 where she had left off in the opener as she nailed a 1-2 pitch out to right field for a triple on the first Cougar at-bat.  Williamson and Oredina drew walks and were driven in by Boze who had a three-RBI triple for a 3-0 lead.  Alyssa Tudor then doubled to score Boze for a 4-0 advantage.  

LLCC scored a run in the bottom of the first but the Cougars scored three runs in the top of the second as White again ignited the offense, this time with a lead-off single.  Williamson, Oredina, and Boze each had base hits to make the score 7-1.  

Reagan Linder kept ICC on the attack as she led off the top of the third with a double to center field.  Kylie Hyde followed with a single and White was then hit by a pitch.  Oredina drew a walk to score a run and then Boze singled to centerfield to score Hyde and a 9-1 lead.  

The Loggers managed to scratch two runs across in the bottom of the third as ICC led 9-3. 

Oredina added the final two Cougar scores on a two-run homer in the top of the seventh.  LLCC added two runs in the final inning, but it was not enough as the Cougars pulled off the sweep.  

COUGAR HITTING
Gracie White | 3-4, triple
Nivarra Oredina | 2-2, 4 RBI, home run
Shylar Boze | 3-5, double, 6 RBI
Alyssa Tudor | double
Reagan Linder | 2-4, double

COUGAR PITCHING
Broghan Hall | 7 IP, 3 K

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Wednesday, April 10 at 3pm (DH)
vs. Lewis & Clark
Thome Field, East Peoria, IL