Burlington, IA - The Illinois Central College Softball team (2-2) wrapped up its opening weekend tournament at FunCity Turf on Saturday by taking on the Ellsworth Panthers and host Southeastern Iowa Blackhawks in the climate-controlled dome. Both games saw plenty of offensive firepower, with the Cougars prevailing over the Panthers (8-4), but falling to the Blackhawks in the finale (6-9). 

ICC COUGARS 8, ELLSWORTH 4
After a three-strikeout inning for Broghan Hall in the circle, the Cougar bats backed her up right away, with a Kayleigh Harr single and Graci Guenther RBI groundout putting ICC on the board at 1-0 in the first. 

Ellsworth, however, would respond with three unanswered runs, two of which came on a double in the top of the third. 

ICC eventually worked their way back and did so on consecutive at-bats, with an RBI single from Kelsey Bartels and Harr RBI double tying it up at three apiece. A couple at-bats later, Harr herself scored on an error that Olivia Strawn had reached on by way of a bunt. A run of cushion came when Zoe Eeten doubled out into center to score Strawn and go up two, 5-3. 

A two-run lead isn't always safe, so perhaps a welcome sight it was for Hall in the circle when Harr (RBI double scoring Nivarra Oredina), Guenther (RBI sacrifice bunt scoring Bartels), and Emily Compton (RBI single scoring Harr) all collectively swelled the lead to 8-3 after 4. 

The Cougar defensive efforts showed themselves in the fifth as well, with Hall, Oredina, and Compton teaming up to turn a double play to end that half.

Ellsworth would tack one on in the sixth on an error, but ICC's bats had done the work they needed to in order to secure the four-run victory. Hall would close the door with another three-strikeout inning. 

COUGAR HITTING
Nivarra Oredina | 1 stolen base
Kelsey Bartels | 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 hit by pitch
Kayleigh Harr | 1 single, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 stolen base
Graci Guenther | 2 RBI
Marlee Brown | 1 single, 1 walk
Emily Compton | 1 single, 1 RBI
Zoe Eeten | 1 double, 1 RBI

COUGAR PITCHING
Broghan Hall (W; 1-1) | 7 innings, 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, 123 pitches

SOUTHEASTERN IOWA 9, ICC COUGARS 6
The Cougar bats did not have any lay-over from one game to the next, with a Cassidee Bauer RBI double and Kayleigh Harr scoring on an error on back-to-back plate appearances put ICC ahead of the hosts quickly at 2-0 after half an inning. 

From there, a mini pitcher's duel ensued, with Marlee Brown twirling a 1-2-3 inning, and the Cougars only bringing four to the plate. The ICC defensive effort kept the Blackhawks from scoring off an error and a pair of singles, and even an RBI single from Emily Compton (Harr scores) made it 3-0 after two and a half. 

What would become the big inning followed. Southeastern Iowa would score five runs on a two-run double, RBI single, fielder's choice, and RBI double. Neither team would score again until the Blackhawks added another by way of an RBI single, meaning they were doubling up the Cougars at 6-3 after four. 

ICC was not going down without a fight. A Bauer RBI double and Eeten RBI double pulled the Cougars to within 6-5 at stretch time. 

After Nivarra Oredina was kept busy at shortstop, making all three defensive outs in the fifth, ICC tied it in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice bunt from Olivia Strawn, scoring Oredina. 

Yet despite the effort, all in one sweep, Southeastern Iowa erased it. A two-run double made it 8-6, and an RBI groundout set the final margin. The Cougars made it interesting in the top of the seventh with a Zoe Eeten single and back to back walks by Compton and Morgan Kessler, but two strikeouts followed to close the book on the weekend. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kelsey Bartels | 2 singles, 1 stolen base
Olivia Strawn | 1 RBI
Kayleigh Harr | 2 double, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Cassidee Bauer | 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Marlee Brown | 1 walk
Zoe Eeten | 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
Emily Compton | 1 single, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 1 stolen base
Morgan Kessler | 1 walk

COUGAR PITCHING
Marlee Brown (ND) | 2.2 innings, 7 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Bailey Herrick (L; 0-1) | 3.1 innings, 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
2025 NFCA Leadoff Classic
vs. #9 Des Moines Area (2-0) & #4 Jones (13-3)
Friday, February 21st - 1:30 / 4:00 PM
at South Commons Complex - Columbus, Georgia
Follow Live (Stats & Video); GameChanger: "Illinois Central College 2025"