Leesburg, FL - The 16th-ranked Illinois Central College Softball team marched on in Florida by taking on the Lake Sumter State Lake Hawks in a doubleheader. It was a day full of offense for the Cougars, who would sweep both games from the hosts by scores of 6-0 and 12-4, the latter being via run rule fashion. 

GAME 1 | #20 ILLINOIS CENTRAL 6, LAKE SUMTER STATE 0
The opening game was a bit of a slow burn, but the Cougars got to board in the third. Prior to that frame, the Cougars had been retired, six straight. No worry, though, as Kaitlyn Atkinson started the top of the third with a solo shot to take a 1-0 lead. Morgan Kessler quickly followed with a single as well, but she was stranded. In a good defensive response inning, Meadow Terry and the ICC defense retired the Lake Hawks 1-2-3 as well. 

That opened the door for an opportunity in the fourth, where a Herrick single set up an RBI single from Atkinson, one where Herrick had come around to score on an error, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead. 

After another scoreless frame from Lake Sumter State, the Cougars continued to pounce, getting back-to-back hits from Kessler (single) and Laila Harris (double), soon followed by a RBI sacrifice fly from Kayleigh Harr to go up 4-0 before the inning could come to an end. 

Now, both teams would go scoreless for awhile, including consecutive scoreless innings for Terry in the circle. ICC would surge ahead one final time in the seventh, with a Kessler single, Harris walk, and Harr walk loading the bases for Terry, who helped herself out with a 2-run double to score Kessler and Harris and set the 6-0 final score. 

The Lake Hawks got one single in the bottom half, but that was all, and ICC would take the 6-0 winner. 

GAME 2 | #20 ILLINOIS CENTRAL 12, LAKE SUMTER STATE 4
Game two took on a different course. The Lake Hawks stormed out to an early 3-0 lead after two innings, but then began to pour it on in the third. 

A single from Kaitlyn Atkinson, single from Cassidee Bauer, and walk from Laila Harris loaded the bases with just one out. Catcher's interference and another 2-run double from Meadow Terry tied the game at 3-3. A sacrifice fly from Samantha Verstraete gave ICC a lead it would never surrender. Bailey Herrick helped herself out in the circle with an RBI single to create a two-run cushion. Danni Neppl wrapped up an impressive six-run inning with an RBI single to score Herrick and make it 6-3 going into the bottom of the third. 

As it turns out, that would've been enough offense to secure the win, but the Cougar bats weren't done yet. An RBI single from Kayleigh Harr and Harr scoring on a passed ball swelled the lead to 8-3. After Herrick retired the Lake Hawks in order in the fourth, Lake Sumter State would add one more in the fifth on an RBI triple to get within 8-4. 

Yet again, though, ICC's offense exploded. Harris doubled and Harr singled to start, then back-to-back run-scoring plays saw yet another two-run double from Terry and a two-run homer from Verstraete to take the game to run-rule territory.

The Lake Hawks got two on with a double and a single, but Herrick and Harr teamed up for a 1-5 double play to end the game early in the sixth. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ Lewis & Clark (DH)
Tuesday, March 24th - 2:00 / 4:00 PM
Glazebrook Park - Godfrey, Illinois