(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College split its Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) softball doubleheader against Oakton Community College on Thursday afternoon. The Chiefs (13-9, 5-3) pulled away in the opener with a six-run third inning on the way to booking a 14-3 victory in five innings. The Owls (2-18, 1-5) then rallied in game two to stun the Chiefs scoring a 14-11 come from behind victory. Waubonsee scored three times in the bottom of the seventh and loaded the bases before the final out was recorded.
Originally set to be played in Des Plaines, the Chiefs were visitors in the first game and quickly took an early lead. Bree Crosby smacked a two-out double to center field and scored shortly thereafter when Sabrina Zamora lined a shot off Owls' pitcher Payton Eschbach's leg for an infield single. Ashley Moore followed with a double to right center field to drive in Zamora to make it 2-0. The Owls got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first on three straight singles off Waubonsee starter Brooklyn Marks. The hard-throwing right-hander settled in after that striking out six of the next 11 batters while keeping the Owls off the board.
Waubonsee scored two more in the top of the second highlighted by a solo home run to left field by Madalyn Torrance. The Chiefs then broke the game open by scoring six times in the top of the third. A two-run triple to the right field corner by Marks pushed Waubonsee's lead to 6-1 and Crosby capped things off by ripping a two-run double down the left field line. The Chiefs added another run in the fourth frame to take a commanding 11-1 lead. Marks then helped her own cause by launching a two-out, two-run homer to right center field to extend the lead to 14-1. Moore led the offense by going 3 for 4 with two doubles, two runs knocked in and three runs scored. Crosby ended the game 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, two runs batted in, a run scored and a stolen base. At the plate Marks went 2 for 3 with a home run, a triple, four runs driven in, two runs scored and a hit-by-pitch. In the circle Marks picked up her eighth win of the Spring striking out 10, walking one and allowing three runs on eight hits.
In game two the Owls' bats came to life as they scored three times in the top of the first, smacking five hits including a two-run homer to center field by Mariko Ishii. Waubonsee got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first as Mackenzie Fraus grounded out to drive in Ionicca Rivera who had led off the inning with a line-shot single to left field. The Chiefs took the lead in the bottom of the second in a big way. Haley McCoy got caught between third and home in a run down, but the Owls failed to cover the plate allowing her to score to get Waubonsee within a run. Rivera then took full advantage of the opportunity by smashing a three-run bomb to straight away center field to suddenly put the home team in front 5-3.
Coach Hannah Tomasko's crew took advantage of three walks, a hit batter and an Oakton error to score three more runs in the bottom of the third to grab an 8-3 lead. As a light rain began to fall in the top of the fifth the Owls mounted a comeback loading the bases with two outs. Oakton's Hallie Gartner then ripped a sinking liner to center that just eluded the outstretched glove of a diving Alejandra Aragon to clear the bases and bring the potential tying run to the plate. Three pitches later Jocelyn Arizpe lifted a blooper to right field that looked like it was going to bring in Gartner to make it 8-7. But McCoy made a spectacular sliding basket catch to end the threat and preserve the Chiefs' two-run lead.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long as Oakton rode their newfound momentum to storm back to score four more runs in the sixth on four hits, a walk and a hit batter to grab a 10-8 lead. The Owls then tallied three huge insurance runs in the top of the seventh off the mighty bat of Ishii as she drilled a no doubt three-run homer to left field. That one swing turned out to be the difference in the outcome of the game. Trailing 14-8 with three outs to work with the Chiefs got a pair of runs on a two-run shot by Torrance, her second home run of the day. Waubonsee got three more hits as Fraus laced a run-scoring single to center to get the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. However, after a walk loaded the bases, Eschbach who had come on in relief in the third inning, registered a strikeout to end it.
Rivera paced the offensive attack by going 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs knocked in and four runs scored. Peyton Dudzik took the loss in the circle for Waubonsee. The Chiefs are in action again this coming weekend when they travel to Ottawa to play at Peck Park in a round-robin format. Waubonsee takes on Kishwaukee College on Saturday, April 11 starting at 9:00 a.m. and battles Harper College at 11:00 a.m. On Sunday the Chiefs square off against Joliet Junior College at 9:00 a.m. and play the host school Illinois Valley Community College at 11:00 a.m. Waubonsee is set to return home on Monday, April 13 when they host ISCC foe Moraine Valley Community College in a 3:00 p.m. conference doubleheader.
Brooklyn Marks picked up her 8th win in game one. Madalyn Torrance jogs home after smacking her first homer on the day. Alejandra Aragon heads home to score a run.