(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's softball team's aspirations for capturing the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) title took a big hit as the Chiefs dropped both games of their doubleheader against the College of Lake County on Tuesday afternoon. The Lancers (19-6, 5-0) broke open a tie game with a big fifth inning on the way to taking game one 12-7. The Chiefs (10-9, 4-2) then let a 5-0 lead in game two slip away as Lake County rallied to win 8-6 and complete the sweep. Lake County previously registered a non-conference 12-4 win over Waubonsee on February 28 at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex dome in Rosemont to open the season.
In the first game the Lancers got on the board in the top of the first as Tyler Brock lined a one-out, run-scoring single to center. Lake County nearly added a second run with two outs when Kaylin Worley smashed what looked like a sure double, but Waubonsee's Bree Crosby ran the ball down and snagged it for the final out as she bounced off the left centerfield fence. The Lancers went ahead 2-0 in the top of the third before the Chiefs threatened in the bottom half of the inning. Ionicca Rivera drilled a two-out double to left center to put runners at second and third. But Lancers' second baseman Cayden VonSande made a diving stop and threw Sophia Delgado out to end the inning.
Waubonsee got on the board the next inning when Crosby launched a long solo home run to straight away center field for her fifth homer of the Spring. The Chiefs then pulled even as Mackenzie Fraus drew a two-out walk and McKenna Ignasak followed with a single to center. Three pitches later Haley McCoy lofted a blooper to right field that popped out of the glove of Lake County right fielder Addison Schroeder as she dove for the ball. Pinch-runner Alejandra Aragon scored on the play to knot the score at two.
The Lancers responded in a big way by scoring six times in the top of the fifth on six hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly as they sent 10 batters to the plate. The visitors then tacked on three more runs in the sixth to grab a commanding 11-2 lead. Needing to score in the bottom half of the frame to avoid the eight-run after five innings slaughter-rule, Ignasak provided it with a thunderous two-run homer to center field. Lake County got one of those runs back in the top of the seventh and needed three outs to end it. But the Chiefs would not go down without a fight. Delgado slapped a one-out single to center and Crosby followed with a double to left center. On the very next pitch Brooklyn Marks smashed a three-run homer to left field, her second long ball of the season, to make it 12-7. However, the Lancers' relief pitcher Olivia Peters got the final two outs to end it. Crosby finished 3 for 4 with two doubles and home run. Ignasak went 2 for 3 with two runs driven in, and Rivera went 2 for 4 with a two-bagger. Waubonsee's Sabrina Zamora took the loss in relief of Peyton Dudzik. Lake County's Peters got the win in relief despite surrendering five runs over three innings.
Per ISCC rules the Chiefs were the visitors in game two. Waubonsee threatened to score in the top of the first but stranded runners at second and third against Lake County starting pitcher Sophia Zepeda. The Chiefs then broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third when Rivera led off with a line-shot double down the left field line. Fraus and Crosby then each drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Madalyn Torrance blooped a single over the infield to knock in the first run of the game. Ashley Moore followed with a single to center to score two more runs before a fourth run crossed courtesy of a Lake County error.
Waubonsee added another run in the top of the fourth when Rivera was hit by a pitch with two outs. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored when Fraus ripped a single to center on a full count to put the Chiefs in front 5-0. Meanwhile, through the first four innings Marks limited the Lancers to four hits and no runs with six strikeouts. But suddenly the Lancers' bats came to life in the fifth as they registered four straight hits to suddenly make it 5-2 and put runners at second and third base. Worley then worked an 11-pitch at bat before bouncing a single up the middle to knock in two runs, give Lake County a ton of momentum and drive Marks from the game. Head Coach Hannah Tomasko went to Dudzik in relief, and she appeared to escape with the lead still in tack. But a two-out Chiefs' error allowed Lake County to knot the score at five after five innings.
Waubonsee regained the lead in the top of the sixth on a two-out, infield hit by Torrance, her third hit in as many at bats. Lake County came right back to tie it again on a sacrifice fly out by Emma Andrews. A hit-by-pitch brought VonSande to the plate and she promptly laced a single to right to give the Lancers a 7-6 lead. Peters then dribbled one through the right side of the infield to push across another run. In the top of the seventh the Chiefs got two runners on base before a fly out ended the contest. Rivera ended the game 3 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and a hit-by-pitch. Torrance went 3 for 3 with a run scored and two driven in, while Moore was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. Dudzik took the loss in the circle allowing three runs on four hits to go along with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Chiefs are scheduled to be in action again tomorrow as they head to Chicago Heights to take on Prairie State College in another ISCC doubleheader slated to start at 3:00 p.m.