Quincy, Ill. - The #18 Illinois Central College softball team picked up another sweep on Friday, taking down John Wood 9-1, 10-6 in Region 24 action. The offense was strong, pounding out 12 hits in each game while Meadow Terry and Bailey Herrick took care of business on the mound to get the wins. 

Samantha Verstraete paced the hitting in the opener with three hits for three RBI. In the nightcap, Terry and Ryan Coombs each had home runs and Kayleigh Harr added three RBI for ICC (23-7 overall, 12-2 in Region 24). With the losses, JWCC fell to 9-21.

GAME 1: #18 Illinois Central 9, John Wood 1
The Cougars struck early and often, taking a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of a Harr walk, and RBI doubles from Verstraete and Terry. Harr led off the third with a walk and again Verstraete doubled followed by another double, this time from Herrick for a 4-0 lead. Abbie Lohman's RBI bunt single pushed the advantage to 5-0. 

ICC struck again in the sixth as Laila Harris singled, Harr walked, and Verstraete singled to score Harris. 

The Blazers scratched a run in the sixth but ICC answered with three runs in the seventh on singles by Herrick, Kaitlyn Atkinson, Harris, and Neppl to go along with a JWCC error for the final score.

Terry cruised in the circle, striking out six to get the win.

GAME 1 HITTING
Samantha Verstraete | 3-4, 3 RBI, 2 doubles
Kaitlyn Atkinson | 1-3, 2 RBI
Bailey Herrick | 2-4, RBI, double
Abbie Lohman | 1-4, RBI
Danni Neppl | 1-5 RBI
Meadow Terry | 1-4, RBI, double

GAME 1 PITCHING
Meadow Terry | 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K

GAME 2:  #18 Illinois Central 10, John Wood 6
John Wood scored three runs in the first three innings before Terry and Coombs took matters into their own hands with the long ball. Their homers (Terry a two-run blast & Coombs a 3-run homer) gave ICC the lead for good at 5-3 after the fifth. 

The Cougars added two more runs in the sixth on four straight base hits (Cassidee Bauer, Harris, Neppl, and Harr) which was good for a 7-3 lead. The Blazers got a run back in the sixth but the Cougars weren't done, plating two more in the seventh as two Blazer errors and a Herrick single and Harr double made it 10-4. 

Herrick went the distance on the mound, collecting three strikeouts in the win. 
 
GAME 2 HITTING
Kayleigh Harr | 2-4, 3 RBI, double
Ryan Coombs | 1-3, 3 RBI, home run
Meadow Terry | 1-2, 2 RBI, home run
Abbie Lohman | 1-3, double
Cassidee Bauer | 2-4

GAME 2 PITCHING
Bailey Herrick | 7.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 K

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Monday, April 13
HOME vs. Southeastern Iowa
2pm - DH
Thome Field, East Peoria, IL