(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's softball home opener against the College of Lake County started out sunny with a pleasant 60-degree temperature. By the time the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) twin bill was over it was dark, overcast and at least 10 degrees colder. Accordingly, the offenses for both teams cooled off too as the afternoon progressed. In the end the Lancers (8-10, 2-0) came away with a pair of one-run victories, edging the Chiefs (3-8, 0-2) 11-10 in 11 innings and 6-5 in a game called due to darkness in the sixth inning.
The first game was a fantastic back and forth battle that eventually turned into an extra innings pitcher's duel. After both teams scored nine runs through four innings, they combined to score just three times over the final seven innings of action as temperatures gradually dropped. The Chiefs got on the board first when Alyssa Perkins smashed a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first. The visiting Lancers then took advantage of control issues by Chiefs' starting pitcher Julia Hupp. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases before Lake County's Breckyn Mercer unloaded them with a line shot to left center field that just cleared the fence for a grand slam. That theme repeated itself in the top of the third as the Lancers loaded the bases again on a single and back-to-back walks. Mercer again came through as she slapped a two-run single through the left side of the infield to give the Lancers a 6-2 lead.
However, the Chiefs responded in the bottom half of the frame by batting around and scoring four times to knot the score. Bunt singles by Ariana Ikis and Katie Baker, along with a single by Morgan Smardo loaded the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly by Emily Hurst plated one run and a clutch, two-out bloop single down the right field line by Val Osthoff tied the game. The Lancers then jumped in front again pushing three runs across in the top of the fourth highlighted by a run-scoring triple by Katalina Ybarra. Waubonsee again answered immediately as Ikis led off with a double over the left fielder's head. Smardo followed with an infield hit and scored moments later when Baker drilled a two-run double to the left center field fence. Baker then advanced to third on a ground out and scored four pitches later when Perkins grounded out to shortstop tying the game once more.
After a scoreless fifth inning by both teams Lake County grabbed the lead again when Ybarra doubled to left field and the next batter Rachel Smigielski ripped her fourth single of the game. Smardo then led off the bottom half of the sixth with a double to right center. Two batters later Hurst tied the game at 10-all with a single up the middle to plate Smardo. The Chiefs almost jumped in front when Dyani Rivera laced a two-out line drive to right field that would have scored pinch runner Lauren Jordal, but Lake County's Tara Cahill made a diving catch for the third out.
Smardo, who had come on in relief of Hupp in the fifth inning, induced a pair of harmless fly outs and recorded a strikeout to keep the Lancers off the board in the top of the seventh. Waubonsee got runners to second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but left them there when Lancer's reliever Amber Smith got Smardo looking on a slick change-up for strike three. The Chiefs threatened again in the eighth when Hurst smacked a one-out double down the left field line. But she was stranded there when Rivera grounded out to end the frame and send the contest to the ninth inning. The Lancers got a runner to second base in the top of the ninth, but Osthoff made a diving stop at third base and threw Taylor Kruser out at first base by an eyelash to end the inning. Waubonsee again got the potential winning run to second base in their half of the ninth but did not score. Lake County did the same in the top of the 10th when Ybarra ripped a double to left centerfield but was stranded there when Smigielski flied out to center. Lake County finally broke through in the top of the 11th when Cahill ripped a one-out line single to center to score Taetum Hoesly to make it 11-10. Perkins then led off the bottom of the 11th with a hard single up the middle to get the potential tying run on base. But Smith retired the next three Chiefs to end the game.
Smardo finished the game 3 for 6 with a double and three runs scored, and took the loss in the circle allowing two runs on eight hits over seven innings of work. Baker, Hurst, Perkins and Ikis each recorded two hits apiece in the loss. Smith, who surrendered three runs in the fourth, settled down after that to pick up the win giving up just one run on four hits over the final seven inning of the game. Ybarra and Smigielski both finished the game 4 for 6 with two runs scored.
The pitcher's duel resumed in the second game as Perkins and Lake County's Kaylinn Kundrat continued to ice the opposing hitters. The Chiefs, the visitors in game two per ISCC rules, pushed across a run in the top of the third when Smardo singled, stole second and scored on an infield hit by Baker, scampering home when the throw to first got away from the Lancers' first baseman. Meanwhile, Perkins carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning until Ybarra laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first. Two batters later Hoesly smoked a double off the center field fence to drive in the tying run.
However, In the top of the fifth Waubonsee's offense came to life. Baker and Hurst registered back-to-back singles before Perkins drove a ball to the base of the fence in left centerfield for a long run-scoring single putting Waubonsee in front again. Rivera followed with a single up the middle and Baker slide in just ahead of the tag to give the Chiefs a 3-1 lead. Madison Bogle then drilled a double over the center fielder's head to score another run. Kruser came into pitch for Lake County and got out of the jam.
With daylight dwindling the Lancers looked to rally in the bottom of the fifth. Smith led off with a single and Mercer drove a ball deep to rightfield, but Smardo hauled it in just in front of the fence for the first out. Perkins then retired the next two batters on easy groundouts to preserve Waubonsee's three-run lead. The Chiefs then tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth as Smardo ripped a lead-off double to straight away center field. Two batters later she scored when Hurst reached base on a throwing error to make it a 5-1 game.
Unfortunately, Waubonsee needed more runs as Lake County loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. A two-out, two-run single by Smith made it 5-3 before another run scored on an error. A wild pitch moved the potential tying run to third and the winning run to second before Lake County's Vanessa Jackson grounded a full count pitch through the left side of the infield to score both runners and give the Lancers a 6-5 lead. The umpires then called the game at that point before the sixth inning was complete.
Smardo, Baker, Hurst, Perkins and Bogle all booked two hits apiece in game two. After limiting the Lancers to just one run on three hits over the first five innings, Perkins was saddled with the loss after surrendering five runs on five hits in the sixth inning. Waubonsee is in action again next Monday, April 1 when they travel to Joliet to take on Joliet Junior College starting at 3:00 p.m. The Chiefs return home on Tuesday, April 2 when they host Oakton Community College in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.
