(Sugar Grove, IL.) –On a blustery Wednesday afternoon Waubonsee Community College and Moraine Valley Community College squared off in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) doubleheader. Coming off two lopsided ISCC victories over winless Morton College on Monday, the Chiefs (11-13, 4-1) looked to keep pace in the ISCC title chase. Waubonsee did that and more. With a steady 20 mile per hour wind blowing straight out and gusts up to 35 miles per hour, the Chiefs shattered single-game school records for extra base hits, runs scored and doubles en route to trouncing Moraine Valley twice. After spotting the Cyclones (4-24, 2-3) a quick 6-0 lead in the opener, Waubonsee scored 17 unanswered runs on the way to pounding Moraine Valley 29-11 victory in five innings. In game two the Chiefs jumped out to an 8-0 lead after one inning and never looked back, blowing the Cyclones away 23-5 to shatter the program mark for runs in a doubleheader and tie the record for hits in a game and in a doubleheader.
The visitors got on the board in the top of the first when Emma Hansen reached base on an error and scored a moment later on a double down the left field line by Jolene Anderson. A run-scoring single up the middle by Mya Granados quickly made it 2-0. After another single a Chiefs' error allowed two more runners to score putting the visitors in front 4-0 before Waubonsee knew what hit them. However, a base running mistake by the Cyclones allowed Chiefs' starter Julia Hupp to escape without any further damage. Waubonsee got a one-out triple to right field by Katie Baker in the bottom of the first, but she was stranded there as Moraine Valley starter Cassidy Ostema induced a pop out and fly out to end the inning.
With the wind howling the upset minded Cyclones added to their lead with a two-out, two-strike two-run single to the right field corner by Granados for a 6-0 lead. Ostema, who had kept the Chiefs hitters off stride in the first with a variety of change ups and drop balls, suddenly struggled mightily in the bottom of the second. Waubonsee got on the board when Morgan Iwanski singled to left field and AnnaMarie Vivirito smacked a triple to right center field. Dyani Rivera was then hit by a pitch and stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Ariana Ikis reached base on an infield hit with one out to load the bases for Morgan Smardo. The Chiefs' right fielder dropped a soft liner into center field to score Vivirito and cut the deficit to 6-2. Baker then reached on an error to make it 6-3 with the bases remaining loaded. Emily Hurst followed by lofting a sacrifice fly to right field for her 104th career run batted in, breaking Alora O'Malley-Molk's of 103 set over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Alyssa Perkins then drilled a two-run single to left to quickly knot the score at 6-all as Waubonsee batted around. Iwanski then bounced a single up the middle to keep the inning going. Vivirito took full advantage by drilling the second pitch she saw for a line drive three-run homer to straight away center field for a nine-run inning.
Hupp then helped her own cause by doubling over the third base bag to begin the bottom of the third. Ikis followed with a drive to center field that one-hopped the fence before she scampered into second for back-to-back doubles. A throwing error by the Cyclones two pitches later allowed ikis to score and Smardo to reach second base as Waubonsee's lead grew to 11-6. Hurst then tapped one back to the circle and Smardo beat the throw to the plate to put the Chiefs in front by six runs. Perkins ripped another single past third and Iwanski then lined a shot to centerfield that deflected off the glove of a diving Megan McClelland allowing Hurst to score. Vivirito blooped a single to center field to drive in Perkins and extend the lead to 14-6. Once again the Chiefs batted around as Hupp poked a single to center field to knock in Iwanski and Vivirito. Ikis then stepped to the plate and stroked her second double of the inning for a 17-6 Chiefs' lead.
Moraine Valley quickly got three runs back in the top of the fourth inning on five hits and a walk. The Cyclones' Rachel Minnich then drilled a two-run double to left center field to make it 17-11 before Hupp struck out Ostema for the third out. Waubonsee's offense went right back to work in the bottom half of the frame. Baker led off with a double to right field before Hurst reached base on an infield pop-up that dropped in, helped by the windy conditions. Perkins then stepped up to the plate and launched her third home run of the season, a three-run shot to dead center field to make it 20-11. Ruby Amigon came on to pitch for Moraine Valley and three batters later Madison Bogle scored when Rivera reached on a two-base error. Hupp then drilled a line shot double to right field as the Chiefs doubled up on the Cyclones 22-11. Ikis followed with her second collegiate career home run drilling a line drive over the 205-foot marker in center field. Baker then hit her second double of the inning and Hurst lofted her ninth homer of the season to center field for Waubonsee's second nine-run inning of the game. But the Chiefs were not done. After back-to-back walks, Vivirito smacked a run-scoring double to center field and Rivera followed that by bouncing a two-run double off the right center field fence to push the lead to 29-11 with a 12-run inning.
Six players registered three or more hits led by Vivirito who finished the game 4 for 5 with five runs batted in and four runs scored, needing only a single to hit for the cycle. The freshman drilled two doubles, a triple and a home run, compiling the second most total bases in a game in Chiefs' history with 11. Ikis ended the game 4 for 4 with four runs driven in and three scored. Perkins went 3 for 4 with five runs knocked in and four runs scored, and Hupp went 3 for 4 with three runs batted in and three scored. Iwanski and Baker each finished with three hits and Hurst knocked in four runs in the game one win. Waubonsee ended the game with 24 hits, tying the program mark for hits in a game set during a 20-3 win over Tomkins Courtland (NY) Community College in 2013 during the Chiefs annual Spring Break trip to Florida. Included in that hit total was a school-record 16 extra bases, including a new mark for doubles in a single game with 10 two-baggers, five of those coming in the third inning alone. The four home runs hit by the Chiefs in game one tied for the second most in a single game in program history, while the trio of homers in the fourth inning tied the mark for most homers in an inning set in 2006.
As game two commenced, temperatures began to drop, although the strong winds did not diminish. Visitors per ISCC rules in the second game, Waubonsee got of the board in the top of the first when Baker drew a one-out walk and Hurst reached base on an error. Two pitches later Perkins put the Chiefs in front 3-0 with a blast over the left center field fence. Three batters later Valerie Osthoff made it 4-0 with a run-scoring single past third. Waubonsee loaded the bases with two outs and then tacked on two more runs as Smardo reached base on the Cyclones' third error of the frame. Baker then ripped a clean single to right field to extend the lead to 7-0 before Hurst followed with a single to right center to drive in another run as the Chiefs sent 13 players to bat in the eight-run inning and in the process surpassed the program record for runs in a doubleheader (36) done in 2012 and 2016.
An infield hit, walk and hit batter loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second. Smardo, Waubonsee's starting pitcher in game two, then helped her own cause with an infield single to knock in a ninth run. A minute later Baker lined a two-strike pitch into center field to drive in two more runs and Hurst followed with a shot to left field to extend her current hitting streak to 12 games and make it 12-0. The Cyclones got on the board in the bottom of the second when Marissa Walsh skied a ball to center field that carried over the fence for a solo home run. Moraine Valley pushed across a second run in the frame before Smardo induced a pair of ground outs to end the inning.
Iwanksi then led off the third with a line shot high off the right field fence for a stand up double. Vivirito continued her big day by lining an outside pitch down the right field line to drive in Iwanski for a 13-2 lead. Ikis lined a one-out single past shortstop to drive home Vivirito before a wild pitch plated a 15th Waubonsee run. Smardo followed with a single up the middle to send Ikis home and Hurst hit a towering fly ball up into the jet stream that carried over the right center field fence for a two-out, two-run homer. The sophomore's 10th long ball of the season pushed the lead to 18-2. Moraine Valley got a run across in the bottom of the third on a two-out error by the Chiefs while Smardo kept the Cyclones' bats mostly in check.
In the top of the fourth Jenna Borgstrom joined in on the hit parade with a single to right field. A walk, an error and a wild pitch scored Waubonsee's first run of the inning. Another walk loaded the bases with no outs as bright sunshine momentarily broke through the clouds for the first time all afternoon. Smardo then reached on the Cyclones' fifth error of the game as the Chiefs reached 20 runs. Control issues continued for Cyclones' relief pitcher Stephanie Lohman as Avery Lundblad drew a walk to force in another run. Maddie Linden then pushed across run as she reached on another error and a moment later an infield hit by Iwanski plated another run to make it 23-3. In the bottom of the frame Osthoff back handed a two-hopper, stepped on third and fired across the infield for a slick double play, and then two batters later snagged another ground ball over the bag and threw out Hansen to stymie a Cyclones scoring threat. Osthoff then laced a two-out double over the third base bag and down the left field line to equal the Chiefs' program record for hits in a doubleheader with 40. Trailing by a bunch and with dwindling daylight Anderson led off the bottom of the fifth with a scorching double to left center field for the Cyclones. A hit and a pair of Waubonsee errors allowed two runners to cross the dish before Smardo struck out the next two batters to end the game.
Hurst finished the game 3 for 4 with two runs scored and four more runs batted in, giving her eight ribbies on the day. Smardo and Baker both tallied two hits and drove in three runs, while Ikis and Osthoff each booked two hits. Perkins ended the game with three runs driven in to give her eight runs knocked in on the day as well. The combined 36 run differential over the two games eclipsed the previous program mark of 34 set exactly 16 years to the day (April 17, 2008) when Waubonsee topped Morton College 17-0 in both games of their doubleheader. The Chiefs' 20 extra base hits on the day also established a new program record. The 18-run margins of victory in each game tied for the second highest in the Chiefs' record book, and the 12-run fourth inning of game one was also the second most runs scored ever by a Chiefs' softball team in an inning. Waubonsee's six home runs on the day were also the second most a Chiefs' team has ever hit in a twin bill. Coach Joe Spitzzeri's crew is set to play again this coming Friday, April 19 when they host Prairie State College in another ISCC doubleheader. The Chiefs and Pioneers twin bill is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. on the Sugar Grove campus.