East Peoria, Ill. - Bailey Herrick's three hits and Courtney Campbell's three-run home run helped the #2 seeded Illinois Central College softball team to a 9-5 victory over #3 Danville Area in the Region 24 B Tournament on Saturday afternoon at at Thome Field. The win advanced the Cougars to Sunday's Region 24-B championship, where they will play at 2pm against the winner of Heartland vs. Danville at Thome Field. An 'if necessary" game will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 2pm game.
The Cougars grabbed the momentum from the start by putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Kayleigh Harr walked and Herrick singled, setting up an RBI single by Cassidee Bauer. Olivia Strawn belted a double to score Herrick, and base hits by Graci Guenther and Zoe Eeten scored two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
DACC added a run in each of the second and third innings to cut their deficit in half at 4-2 but the Cougars responded in a big way in the bottom of the third. After Guenther and Eeten singled, Campbell stepped to the plate and blasted the first pitch for a three-run homer over the left field fence for a 7-2 advantage.
Herrick's hot bat came up big again in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to increase ICC's lead to 8-2.
Danville added runs in the fifth and the sixth, cutting their deficit to 8-5 but a Kelsey Bartels's single and Herrick double scored an insurance run to give the Cougars a 9-5 lead. Emily Compton shut down the Jaguars in the top of the seventh for the save.
Broghan Hall pitched the first five innings, scattering ten hits to get the win.
COUGAR HITTING
Bailey Herrick | 3-4, 2 RBI, home run, double
Courtney Campbell | 1-3, 3 RBI, home run
Graci Guenther | 2-3, RBI
Zoe Eeten | 2-3, RBI
Cassidee Bauer | 1-4, RBI
Olivia Strawn, 1-4, RBI, double
COUGAR PITCHING
Broghan Hall | 5 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER
Emily Compton | 2 IP, 2 K
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
REGION 24 - B SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Sunday, May 4 - 2:00 pm
vs. Winner of Danville vs. Heartland
at Thome Field, East Peoria, IL (1 College Drive, East Peoria, IL)
Watch Live: https://www.awre.tv/signup?next=/channel/t83621
Live Stats (GameChanger; "Illinois Central College 2025")
REGION 24 - B SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT at Illinois Central College
Sunday, May 4
Game 3: (5) Heartland vs. (3) Danville at 11am
Game 4: (2) Illinois Central vs. Winner Game 3 at 2pm
Game 5: If necessary (30 min after conclusion of Game 4)
Saturday, May 3 Scores
(3) Danville 6, (5) Heartland 5
(2) Illinois Central 9, (3) Danville 5
REGION 24 - A SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT at Parkland
Monday, May 5 Schedule
Game 3: (4) Lincoln Land vs. (6) Lewis & Clark at 11am
Game 4: (1) Parkland vs. Winner Game 3 at 2pm
Game 5: If necessary (30 min after conclusion of Game 4)
Saturday, May 3 Scores
(4) Lincoln Land 15, (6) Lewis & Clark 9
(1) Parkland 7, (4) Lewis & Clark 2
Sunday (B) and Monday's (A) winners of the Region 24 Tourneys will advance to the District Semifinal to play teams from Region 16 on May 10-11 (site TBD). The District Champion will then advance to the NJCAA Division II World Series on May 20-25 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, AL.
