Melbourne, FL -  The #16 Illinois Central College picked up a pair of wins to start their Florida Trip, rolling 16-0 over Hocking (5 innings) and stealing home in the 9th inning to defeat DI Monroe 6-5 on Saturday.

GAME 1 RECAP: #16 Illinois Central 16, Hocking 0
The Cougars pounded out 16 hits, led by freshman Samantha Verstraete's inside the park home run, single, and double to score six runs in the opener as they raced to a 13-0 lead in the first three innings.

In the first, Danni Neppl walked and was brought in by Verstraete's homer. Meadow Terry singled and Bailey Herrick doubled and both scored on an error for a 4-0 lead.

Kaitlyn Atkinson singled to lead off the second, Neppl walked again, and then Verstraete's single scored two runs. Terry laced a triple to score Verstraete for an 8-0 lead.

Atkinson helped the Cougars add five more runs in the third as her triple, followed by a Harris double, singles by Harr and Herrick and a double by Verstraete gave ICC a13-0 lead.

GAME 1 HITTING
Samantha Verstraete | 3-4, 6 RBI, home run, double
Kayleigh Harr | 2-4, 2 RBI
Laila Harris | 2-5, 2 RBI, triple, double
Meadow Terry | 3-4, RBI, triple
Bailey Herrick | 3-4, double, RBI
Kaitlyn Atkinson | 3-3, triple

GAME 1 PITCHING
Meadow Terry | 2.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Carly Reglin | 3.0 IP, 2 H

GAME 2 RECAP: #16 Illinois Central 6, Monroe 5 
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Meadow Terry and Kayleigh Harr had back-to-back doubles and Harr scored on a Ryan Coombs ground-out.

Monroe picked up a run in the 4th and three in the 5th for a 4-2 lead but ICC responded in the bottom half courtesy of an Abbie Lohman single, sacrifice bunt by Cassidee Bauer, and Kaitlyn Atkinson single. Danni Neppl doubled to left to scored Atkinson for a 4-all tie. 

The game went into extras, and Monroe scored in the top of the eighth to go up 5-4. Harris was the ghost runner placed on second to start the 8th inning and scored on a Monroe error to send the game into the 9th. Verstraete started off the inning on second and advanced to third on a Terry sacrifice. Verstraete then stole home on the next play, giving ICC the win. 

ICC's record now stands at 7-3.

GAME 2 HITTING
Bailey Herrick | 1-3, RBI, double
Danni Neppl | 1-4, RBI, double
Kaitlyn Atkinson | 1-3, RBI
Ryan Coombs | RBI
Meadow Terry | 2-3

GAME 2 PITCHING
Kennedy Cleeton | 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 K
Samantha Verstraete | 0.1 IP, 1 K
Meadow Terry (W) | 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 K

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Sunday, March 15
9:00 am vs. Monroe
11:15 am vs. Bryant & Stratton
at Melbourne, FL