The Illinois College Lady Blues softball team concluded their annual Florida trip with two decisive wins at the Legends Way Complex in Clermont, Florida. The team defeated Simmons 10-2 and Alvernia 8-0, both games ending after five innings due to the run rule.
In the first game against Simmons, Illinois College started strong with an RBI triple from Shelby Seiler in the opening inning. Although Simmons responded with two runs in their half of the first, Illinois College answered by scoring eight consecutive runs. Ezzy Mauermann tied the game by stealing home in the second inning. Megan Doolittle contributed a three-run home run during a three-run third inning for Illinois College.
The fourth inning saw further scoring as Alyssa Teixeira hit a two-run single followed by Lilly Siller’s three-run single, extending the lead to 10-2. Mauermann and Siller each recorded three hits for Illinois College, while Siller and Doolittle led with three RBIs apiece. Pitcher Avery Fritz allowed two hits and two unearned runs over three innings before Cambria Currie finished the final two innings, allowing one hit and recording a strikeout.
In their second game of the day against Alvernia, Illinois College scored all necessary runs in the first inning. Seiler drove in two runs with a single; Brooke Loveall added another single that brought home two more runs; Mauermann capped off the inning with a three-run home run to give her team a 7-0 advantage. Seiler later tripled and scored on a throw in the third inning for an additional run. Jordan Closs pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up just three hits while striking out four batters.
With these victories, Illinois College improves its season record to 8-6.
Illinois College Lady Blues Softball competes in NCAA Division III as part of the Midwest Conference and is based in Jacksonville, Illinois (official website). The team’s home games are played at Jessica Kamp Softball Field, which features an upgraded infield designed to reduce weather-related disruptions (official website).
The Lady Blues will return to action next Saturday (March 14) when they travel back to the Midwest for a doubleheader at Westminster beginning at 1:00 p.m.
