(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's softball team took a pair of games from Morton College in their 2026 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) and home opener. The Chiefs (8-4, 2-0), fresh off going 4-2 on their Spring Break trip to central Florida, erupted the third time through the lineup to rally and win game one 12-3 by the eight-run slaughter-rule. Waubonsee completed the sweep by taking game two 8-0 in five innings to keep the Panthers (0-17, 0-2) winless on the season.
In the first game Waubonsee scratched across a run in the bottom of the second via a walk, stolen base, groundout and fielder's choice grounder. Meanwhile, Chiefs' starter Brooklyn Marks kept Morton under wraps striking out six and allowing just one hit over the initial three innings of the contest. But the Panthers came to life in the top of the fourth pulling even on a pair of one-out doubles. Morton's Ella Kempf then battled Marks in a 12-pitch at bat before drawing a walk. Harmony Macias then stole third and scored on a comebacker to Marks when her low toss to the plate was dropped by catcher McKenna Ignasak allowing Macias to score. A walk, passed ball, infield single and error plated a third run for the Panthers in the top of the fifth.
Trailing 3-1 the Chiefs got one of the runs back when Alejandra Aragon led off the bottom of the fifth by drawing a walk and stealing second. She scored two batters later when Sophia Delgado grounded out to second. Ionicca Rivera then drilled a line-shot double to straight away center field to put the potential tying run in scoring position. Five pitches later Mackenzie Fraus knotted the score by lacing a two-out double to left center. Ashley Moore followed with a ringing two-run homer to left field to suddenly put Waubonsee in front 5-3. Bree Crosby then reached on an infield single before Marks drew a walk bringing Ignasak to the dish. A moment later the sophomore ripped a line-shot, three-run homer to left to cap off the seven-run frame. The Chiefs tacked on a couple more runs in the sixth to make it 10-3 before Fraus drew a one-out walk. Moore then stepped to the plate and lofted another long drive to left field fence. Panthers' left fielder Alavina Cain-Brown leaped but the ball was just out of her reach for a game-ending two-run homer, Moore's second bomb of the game.
Moore finished the game 2 for 4 with two homers, two runs scored and four runs batted in. Rivera went 3 for 4 with a double and run scored, Fraus was 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and run scored, and Ignasak knocked in three runs. Marks earned her fifth win in the circle by striking out 10, walking three and surrendering three hits and two earned runs over six innings of work.
Per ISCC rules the Chiefs were the visitors on their own field in the second game. Waubonsee pushed across a run in the top of the first inning as Delgado doubled to left center and scampered all the way to third when Panthers' center fielder Maria Urbina bobbled the ball. She scored a minute later courtesy of a squeeze bunt by Rivera. Waubonsee tacked on another run in the third inning as Moore walked and stole second base. A sacrifice bunt moved her to third and she scored when Rivera drilled a single past third base. The Chiefs extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Crosby smashed a line-shot single up the middle to start the inning. The sophomore center fielder then stole second and scored easily when Sabrina Zamora followed with a double to center field. Waubonsee tallied a second run in the frame as Sonia Flores reached on an infield single and dashed home when Haley McCoy ripped a line drive off the glove of Macias in the circle and into center field for a run-scoring single. The Chiefs broke it open in the fifth when Delgado doubled down the left field line to start the inning. She scored to make it 5-0 when Rivera reached on an error. Two minutes later Fraus smacked a single to left field to drive in Rivera before Crosby launched a towering two-run blast to left field to suddenly make it 8-0.
Peyton Dudzik finished off Morton in the bottom of the fifth to twirl the five-inning shutout and pick up the win allowing just two hits, while striking out four and walking two. Delgado finished 2 for 2 with two doubles and two runs scored, and Crosby ended the game 2 for 3 with a homer, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Zamora also went 2 for 3 with a double, stolen base and run knocked in. The Chiefs are set to play again this coming Thursday, March 26 when they host McHenry County College in another ISCC twin bill starting at 3:00 p.m. in Sugar Grove.
McKenna Ignasak behind the dish Brooklyn Marks fires a pitch Mackenzie Fraus launches a shot to right field