(Palatine, IL) - Waubonsee Community College's softball team soared past Harper College to easily take both games of their doubleheader on the road. The Chiefs routed the Hawks 14-2 and 11-2 to once again move their overall record back near .500 at 11-13. After dropping their intial four games of the season, the Chiefs won four in a row to even their record back on March 29. However, they lost their next three games after that and have been trying to get back to the .500 mark ever since.
In game one Waubonsee scored three times in the top of the first ining highlighted by a two-run double to center field by Jessica Wilson. The Chiefs added another run in the second and then broke the game open with a five-run third to take a commanding 9-1 lead. After Gracyn Gabriel started off the frame with a triple to right field, Ronnie Latka capped it off with a bases-loaded triple to right as well. Grace Klingbeil led off the top of the fourth with a double and scored on a triple by Rachel Prinz as Waubonsee tacked on two more runs in the inning. Alyssa Eby then led off the fifth with a home run to left field to put the Chiefs in front 12-2. Jori Peters followed with a single and scored a moment later when Gabriel ripped her second triple of the game to right field once more.
Meanwhile, Allison Ryan limited the Hawks to just three hits over five innings to pick up the pitching victory, striking out five and walking two. Klingbeil finished the game 3 for 3 with three runs scored and three driven in. Gabriel ended the game 3 for 4 with three runs scored, while Peters also booked three hits. Latka went 2 for 3 with four runs batted in and Eby added a pair of hits and scored twice.
Waubonsee jumped on the Hawks early again in the second game with two runs in the first and six more in the second to get the upper hand. Singles by Angelina Viera, Ryan, Josie Rivera and Anastasia Gelardi to begin the second inning jumpstarted the Chiefs' onslaught. Micah Simmons then drilled a two-out, two-run single to center to make it 6-0 as Waubonsee pulled away. Harper broke the shutout with two runs in the fourth inning as three different Chiefs' pitchers held the home team to just four hits overall. Highlighted by a two-run homer by Abby Sanders, Waubonsee tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning to take an 11-2 lead and put the eight-runs after five innings slaughter rule into effect.
Gelardi was credited with the win in the pitching circle after two scoreless innings of work. Simmons finished 3 for 4 with runs knocked in to lead the offense. Sanders also drove in three runs with a pair of hits and scored twice. Hailey Ruhl, Julia Gonzalez and Viera each contributed two hits apiece in the winning cause.