Champaign, Ill. - The #4 seeded Illinois Central College softball team rode a strong pitching performance from Meadow Terry in Game 1 and used a heavy-hitting attack led by Bailey Herrick to win Game 2 to advance to Saturday's championship of the Central District Tournament. 

Terry threw a four-hitter in the opener as ICC defeated #1 seed Parkland 2-1. Herrick had a solo homer and Cassidee Bauer an RBI single giving ICC the narrow win. 

In Game 2, ICC defeated #3 seed Danville 8-3 as Herrick's three-run blast highlighted a seven-run second inning that put ICC in control early. Terry pitched the first three innings to get the win and Samantha Verstraete came on in relief for four innings to blank the Jaguars and get the save. 

ICC will play at 1:15 in Saturday's championship game in Champaign against the winner of Danville vs. Parkland with the if-necessary game being played 30 minutes after. The champion will earn the automatic bid to Nationals.

Game 1: (4) Illinois Central 2, (1) Parkland 1
Terry fanned six Cobras and limited them to four hits in the complete game to help ICC advance. Bauer, Laila Harris, and Kayleigh Harr all had two hits as ICC out-hit the hosts 7-4.

The Cobras (34-18) scored their lone run in the third on a double, single, and sacrifice fly for a 1-0 advantage. That lead was short-lived however, as Herrick hit a 2-0 pitch over the right field fence in the fourth for a 1-1 score. 

ICC knocked on the door in the fifth when Bauer had a lead-off base hit, Danni Neppl walked, and Harris singled to load the bases with one out. However, the Parkland pitcher wiggled out of the jam, keeping the game tied.

The Cougars found a way in the sixth as Herrick and Ryan Coombs walked to put runners on first and second. Bauer then had a two-out single to center, scoring Herrick for the go-ahead run.

Terry gave up a meaningless double in the sixth and then went three-up, three-down in the seventh to finish off the Cobras. 

GAME 1 HITTING
Bailey Herrick | 1-2, RBI, home run
Cassidee Bauer | 2-3, RBI
Laila Harris | 2-4
Kayleigh Harr | 2-4

GAME 1 PITCHING
Meadow Terry | 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K

Game 2: (4) Illinois Central 8, (3) Danville 3
The Cougars (32-14) cranked twelve hits in the game with seven players recording at least one hit, led by Abbie Lohman's three-hit performance.

The pivotal second inning saw the first five Cougars that went to the plate get on base. Lohman and Bauer singled, Kaitlyn Atkinson was hit by a pitch, and Neppl singled to right field for the first run. Harris drew a walk that pushed Bauer across the plate for a 2-0 lead. After a fielder's choice, Verstraete had a two-RBI single that scored Neppl and Harris for a 4-0 lead. Herrick then stepped to the plate and smoked a 3-1 pitch to straight out center field for three more runs and a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Jaguars (48-13) scored one run in the second and added two more in the third to cut ICC's lead to 7-3. Harr's solo shot to center field closed out the scoring for the Cougars. 

Terry struck out two in three innings of work. Verstraete was impressive in relief, throwing 35 strikes out of 49 pitches and striking out two.

GAME 2 HITTING
Bailey Herrick | 1-4, 3 RBI, home run
Samantha Verstraete | 2-4, 2 RBI
Danni Neppl | 2-5, RBI
Kayleigh Harr | 1-2, RBI, home run
Laila Harris | 1-4, RBI, double
Abbie Lohman | 3-4, double

GAME 2 PITCHING
Meadow Terry (win) | 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K
Samantha Verstraete (save) | 4.0, 2 H, 2 K

FRIDAY RESULTS
Game 1: (4) Illinois Central 2, (1) Parkland 1
Game 2: (3) Danville 12, (2) St. Louis 1
Game 3: (4) Illinois Central 8, (3) Danville 3
Game 4: (1) Parkland defeated (2) St. Louis

SATURDAY SCHEDULE
11:00 am: Game 5 - (1) Parkland vs. (3) Danville
1:15 pm: Game 6 - (4) Illinois Central vs. Winner of Game 5
3:30 pm: Game 7 - If necessary 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Central District Championship Game 
Saturday, May 9
1:15 pm vs. winner of Parkland vs. Danville
at Dodds Athletic Complex
Champaign, IL