Normal, Ill. - Meadow Terry's three-hit shutout led the #19 Illinois Central College softball team to a 2-0 win over Heartland in the opener on Thursday afternoon in Region 24 action at the Corn Crib. In Game 2, despite a grand slam in the top of the seventh by Samantha Verstraete, HCC edged the Cougars 8-7 in eight innings.

ICC's record is now 24-12 overall and 15-7 in Region 24 while Heartland is 12-22 overall.

The Cougars will host John Wood on Friday in their final regular season game and Sophomore Day for six sophomores at Thome Field. First pitch will be 2:00 pm. 

Game 1: (#19) Illinois Central 2, Heartland 0
The Cougars manufactured a run in the second as Bailey Herrick singled and moved to second on Terry's sacrifice bunt. Abbie Lohman's RBI single to left field gave ICC a 1-0 lead.

Terry settled in on the mound on her way to nine strikeouts while a Samantha Verstraete solo home run in the top of the seventh gave ICC a 2-0 lead for the final score.
 
Game 1 Hitting
Samantha Verstraete | 1-3, RBI, home run
Abbie Lohman | 1-3, RBI
Cassidee Bauer | 1-2, double

Game 1 Pitching
Meadow Terry | 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9 K

Game 2: (#19) Illinois Central
Heartland raced to a 7-0 lead after three innings when Kennedy Cleeton came on in relief to cool the Hawks' bats.

ICC battled back, plating two runs in the fifth with a two-out rally started by Danni Neppl's single and Laila Harris's RBI double. Harris ended up scoring on an error on the play as the Cougars trailed 7-2.

ICC put together a big seventh inning as Cassidee Bauer led off with a solo home run making the score 7-3. Terry walked, Harris reached base on a fielder's choice, and Kayleigh Harr reached on an error to load the bases. And for the second day in a row, the Cougars had a grand slam in the seventh, this one by Verstraete as she hit the first pitch over the center field fence to tie the game at 7-all. 

Unfortunately, the Hawks used a single, double, fielder's choice, and a walk to score the winning run in the eighth to get the win. 

Game 2 Hitting
Samantha Verstraete | 1-4, 4 RBI, grand slam
Cassidee Bauer | 1-3, RBI, home run
Laila Harris | 2-4, double
Bailey Herrick | 1-3, double
Ryan Coombs | 1-4, double
Danni Neppl | 2-4

Game 2 Pitching
Bailey Herrick | 2.0 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 K
Kennedy Cleeton | 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 9 K

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Friday, April 24
Sophomore Day for Kennedy Cleeton, Kayleigh Harr, Meadow Terry, Morgan Kessler, Bailey Herrick, & Cassidee Bauer
vs. John Wood at 2pm - DH
Thome Field
East Peoria, IL