Danville, Ill. - Key hitting and solid pitching in the latter part of Game 2 helped the #18 Illinois Central College softball team earn a split with #21 Danville Area on Thursday in Region 24 action. The Cougars won 11-9 in the nightcap, scoring nine runs in the final three innings while pitcher Samantha Verstraete came on in relief to quiet the Jaguar bats to earn the win.

ICC fell in the opener by a score of 16-8 and now has a record of 24-10 overall and 13-3 in Region play. Danville is 38-10 overall and 11-5 in Region 24. 

Game 1: (#21) Danville Area 16, (#18) Illinois Central 8 (5 inn.)
The Cougars raced out to an 8-1 lead, scoring four runs in the first and four in the second. However, that was short-lived as Danville stormed back, scoring 15 runs the rest of the way for the victory.

In the first, Laila Harris got ICC going with a single to center field and scored on a Danni Neppl double. Samantha Verstraete poked an RBI double, and Bayleigh Herrick hit a 1-0 pitch to left field to clear the bases for a 4-0 lead. 

After DACC scratched a run in the home half, singles by Morgan Kessler and Harris led off the second. After a DACC error, Verstraete walked, and Meadow Terry and Kaitlyn Atkinson each had RBI singles to increase the lead to 8-1.

The Jaguars got on track after that, posting four runs in the second, five in the third, and three each in the fourth and fifth to end the game.

Game 1 Hitting
Bayleigh Herrick | 1-3, 2 RBI, home run
Meadow Terry | 1-3, 2 RBI
Danni Neppl | 1-3, RBI, double
Samantha Verstraete | 2-2, RBI, double
Kaitlyn Atkinson | 1-2, RBI
Laila Harris | 2-4

Game 1 Pitching
Meadow Terry | 2.2 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 8 ER
Kennedy Cleeton | 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 K

Game 2: (#18) Illinois Central 11, (#21) Danville 9
The Cougars reversed their fortunes in Game 2, scoring nine runs in the final three innings for the split. Harris, Neppl, and Terry had the hot bats as each collected three hits and ICC had 14 for the game.

 ICC took a brief 2-1 lead in the second as Terry walked and Herrick doubled, scoring on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly by Atkinson. The Jaguars pushed a run across in the second and put up seven in the third for a 9-2 advantage. 

ICC began to chip away at their deficit in the fifth as Harris and Neppl led off with back-to-back singles. Harr drew a walk and after an RBI single from Terry, Herrick doubled to center to score two runs and cut DACC's lead to 9-5. 

Harris and Neppl ignited the offense again in the sixth with singles, and a Terry base hit and DACC error helped ICC draw to within 9-7. 

Ryan Coombs cracked a lead-off double to right field to start the go-ahead rally in the seventh. Atkinson reached on an error but the DACC pitcher induced a Cougar pop fly for the second out with runners on first and second. The top of the lineup came through with three clutch consecutive hits as Neppl (RBI double), Harr (two-RBI single for the lead), and Verstraete (two-RBI double) answered the call for an 11-9 advantage. 

Verstraete also came up big on the mound in relief, pitching 4 1/3 innings (0 earned runs) to get the win.

Game 2 Hitting
Bailey Herrick | 2-4, 2 RBI, double
Kayleigh Harr | 1-4, 2 RBI
Meadow Terry | 3-4. 2 RBI
Danni Neppl | 3-5, RBI, double
Kaitlyn Atkinson | RBI
Samantha Verstraete | 1-5, double
Ryan Coombs | 1-2, double
Laila Harris | 3-5
Abbie Lohman | RBI

Game 2 Pitching
Bailey Herrick | 2.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R
Samantha Verstraete | 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 K

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Tuesday, April 21
at #16 Parkland - 3pm DH
Champaign, IL