Springfield, IL - The Illinois Central College Softball team (12-11) continued their region road trip by making the short trek south to take on the Lincoln Land Loggers (9-13) in Region 24 action on Wednesday afternoon. The Cougar offense was on top of its game, with individual multi-hit games left and right, with ICC well on its way to a doubleheader sweep of Lincoln Land by scores of 13-3 and 17-4. 

GAME ONE | ILLINOIS CENTRAL 13, LINCOLN LAND 3 (5 inn.)
It took ICC all of two batters to go to work. Nivarra Oredina took a 1-2 triple out to left, soon followed by Kayleigh Harr launching a two-run homer for a 2-0 lead. Cassidee Bauer (single) and Marlee Brown (single) both added hits, but were stranded, showing plenty of positives at the plate in the early-going. Lincoln Land would counter with a home run in the bottom half, but the Cougars were far from done. 

ICC would score again in the second, and bring the extra base hits again. An Oredina RBI double and Bauer two-run homer, coupled with Oredina scoring on a steal of home, swelled the lead to 6-1 before the inning could come to an end. 

The Cougars got a 1-2-3 inning in the second. After a leadoff single, a fielder's choice and double play (Kelsey Bartels to Brown) snuffed any hope of a threat for the Loggers. 

Lincoln Land, though, made it interesting in the third, with an error and a single setting up a two-out two-run double that cut it to a three-run margin with three innings in the books. 

It was all ICC the rest of the way, however, as a big fourth inning would eventually set the final score. A sacrifice bunt from Bauer, two-run home run from Bailey Herrick, bases-loaded walk from Courtney Campbell, and the cherry on top, a bases-clearing three-run double from Oredina to go up 10 runs after three and a half. 

Ahead to the fifth, after the Loggers had a leadoff single to try and extend the game beyond that inning, a strikeout, fly out, and ground out followed to ensure the game ended in five. 

COUGAR HITTING
Nivarra Oredina (SS) | 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 RBI, 2 stolen bases
Kayleigh Harr (3B) | 1 home run, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Cassidee Bauer (C) | 1 double, 1 home run, 3 RBI
Bailey Herrick (DP) | 1 home run, 2 RBI, 1 hit by pitch
Marlee Brown (1B) | 1 single, 1 double
Olivia Strawn (RF) | 1 single
Zoe Eeten (CF) | 1 single
Courtney Campbell (LF) | 1 RBI, 1 walk

COUGAR PITCHING
Broghan Hall (W) | 5 innings, 7 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts

GAME TWO | ILLINOIS CENTRAL 17, LINCOLN LAND 4 (5 inn.)
It was another offensive parade for the Cougars in game two, but it didn't exactly get off to the same start. See, the Loggers had the game tied at four runs apiece after three innings. 

Just like the first game, it was a big singular inning that blew it open. An RBI single from Kayleigh Harr gave ICC a 5-4 lead that they would not surrender. Still in that inning, a Bailey Herrick RBI single, Graci Guenther two-run single, Marlee Brown two-run single, Zoe Eeten RBI single, Kelsey Bartels RBI single, and Nivarra Oredina two-run double all putting the Cougars ahead 14-4 after the top of the fourth. 

Lincoln Land would not score the rest of the way. In fact, Herrick in the circle and the defense behind her didn't allow a hit the rest of the way, either. A catcher's interference call in the fifth was the lone Logger base runner, and game two would end early as well. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kelsey Bartels (2B) | 3 singles, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Nivarra Oredina (SS) | 1 single, 1 double, 4 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Kayleigh Harr (3B) | 1 single, 1 RBI
Bailey Herrick (3B) | 2 singles, 1 RBI
Graci Guenther (C) | 1 single, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Alaina Creamer | 1 double, 1 RBI
Marlee Brown (1B) | 2 singles, 1 home run, 3 RBI
Zoe Eeten (CF) | 2 singles, 1 RBI
Courtney Campbell (LF) | 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk

COUGAR PITCHING
Emily Compton (W) | 3 innings, 8 hits, 4 earned runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Bailey Herrick | 2 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ #18 Danville Area Jaguars (14-7)
Wednesday, April 2nd - 3:00 PM (DH)
at Winter Park - Danville, Illinois