(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College squared off against Kishwaukee College on Monday afternoon in a doubleheader deemed the I-88 Corridor Clash. By the time it was over it was the Chiefs' bats that 'took their toll' on the visiting Kougars. Waubonsee (16-16) equaled a program record with a 14-run inning on the way to rallying to take game one going away 16-6 in five innings. The Chiefs then completed the sweep by knocking off the Kougars (19-20) again in five innings 13-5 behind the pitching and hitting of Morgan Smardo. Waubonsee connected on 28 hits in the twin bill and took advantage of several defensive miscues by Kishwaukee.
Jalyna Polichnowski singled up the middle off Julia Hupp, making her 10th start in the circle for Waubonsee, to start game one. The speedster then stole her 37th base of the spring and went to third on a ground out. She scored shortly thereafter on a single by Haley Trela off Hupp's glove for a quick 1-0 Kishwaukee lead. The Kougars' Alyssa Wilkerson, who entered the day with a 12-5 record and a 2.98 earned-run-average, retired the Chiefs on three straight ground outs in the bottom of the first inning. With the early momentum on their side Kishwaukee loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second. A run scored on a one-out swinging bunt single by Polichnowski before a walk forced in another run for a 3-0 Kougars' lead. A fourth run came in when it appeared Chiefs' shortstop Emily Hurst turned an inning-ending double play. However, Trela was called safe at first and Erin Simmons followed with a two-out, run-scoring single to left to give the visitors a 5-0 lead.
Alyssa Perkins led off with a single to center field to start the bottom half of the frame. She eventually crossed the plate with Waubonsee's first run when Valerie Osthoff reached on a two-out error. Hupp worked around a leadoff single in the top of the third and the Chiefs went to work trying to cut into the deficit. Katie Baker smacked a single up the middle and Hurst followed with a line single to put runners at the corners. Perkins then ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line to make it 5-2. But Wilkerson induced two ground balls to thwart Waubonsee's potential rally. The Kougars got that run back in the top of the fourth when Trela drilled a two-out double down the left field line. She scored a few pitches later when Simmons was erroneously called safe at first base after Osthoff made a diving stop at third and threw across the diamond. The Kougars' defense kept Waubonsee off the board in the bottom of the fourth with two excellent plays followed by Simmons gunning down Ariana Ikis trying to steal second base for the third out.
Hupp then retired Kishwaukee in order in the fifth as the momentum slowly began to turn Waubonsee's way. Smardo led off with a ringing double to right center field before Baker reached on an error. Hurst then ripped a line shot off the top of the right field fence, barely missing a three-run homer. Instead, it turned into a long run-scoring single as Baker scampered into third. Perkins then slapped a grounder to left side that was ruled an error by Trela as Baker scored to make it a 6-4 with no one out. Morgan Iwanski drilled a single to center and courtesy runner Madison Bogle narrowly avoided Simmon's tag at the plate to get the Chiefs within a run. AnnaMarie Vivirito then ripped a liner off Wilkerson's leg for another infield hit to tie the game at 6-all. Osthoff reached on a fielder's choice as Iwanski scored to put Waubonsee in front.
Another Kougar's error allowed Dyani Rivera to reach base and Ikis was hit by a two-and-two pitch to load the bases. Smardo then took full advantage capping off Waubonsee's rally by drilling the third pitch she saw over the 205-foot mark on the center field fence for a grand slam homer and an 11-6 lead. The Chiefs were not done though as Baker slapped a single to right center field. Hurst then blasted a low fastball for a line-shot two-run homer to straight away center field to chase Wilkerson from the circle. Perkins drew a walk and Vivirito reached on the Kougars' fourth error of the game. Osthoff then capped off Waubonsee's 14-run inning abruptly ending the game with a two-out, walk-off three-run homer over the left field fence to put the slaughter-rule into effect. The three home runs in the fifth inning also matched a Chiefs record for homers in an inning, done previously in 2006 and just a week ago in a lopsided win over Moraine Valley. The 14 runs in the fifth frame also matched the biggest single-inning tally in program history done in 1997 and 2016. Hurst ended the game 3 for 4 with three runs batted in and one run scored. Smardo and Osthoff both drove in four runs, while Baker, Perkins and Rivera each booked two hits. Hupp scattered nine hits over five innings of work in picking up her fifth win of the season.
Kishwaukee jumped out in front in the top of the first in game two as well with Polichnowski scoring on a ground out by Simmons. The Kougars got a second run across on a two-out, bloop single to right by Kishwaukee pitcher Kyra Johnson. Abby Stoffa then laced a run-scoring single just out of the reach of Baker and into right field for a 3-0 Kishwaukee lead. Smardo, also making her 10th start in the circle for Waubonsee, got a fly out to end the inning. The Chiefs answered right back as Smardo lined a single to right field and Baker drilled a one-hop double off the left center field fence. Hurst followed with a line drive base hit to left to get Waubonsee on the board. Iwanski then smashed the first pitch she saw for a one-out, run-scoring double just inside the right field line to make it 3-2. Vivirito tied the game with a ground out to short as Hurst rambled home. Two pitches later Osthoff put Waubonsee in front with a single to right center as Iwanski waltzed home. Nadia Melendez reached on a bouncer between the third baseman and shortstop, and Ikis blooped a pop up to shallow center that went off Polichnowski's glove for an error. Smardo followed with a grounder through the left side and Melendez scored when the ball was bobbled in left field to give the Chiefs a 6-3 lead. The six-run first inning also gave Waubonsee an unprecedented 20 runs over a two-inning span.
The score remained 6-3 until the hot hitting Osthoff smacked a one-out double off the left center field fence in the bottom of the third. Melendez then blooped a single down the right field line and Osthoff raced home when the ball was mishandled. Smardo slapped a two-out single up the middle to keep the inning going and then stole second base. Baker drilled a two-run double to right center to put Waubonsee ahead 9-3 heading to the fourth. After allowing a leadoff walk Smardo kept the momentum on the Chiefs' side with back-to-back called third strikeouts and a tap out to second by Polichnowski. Perkins quickly added to the Chiefs' lead by stroking a solo homer to left field to start the bottom of the fourth for her seventh long ball of the season. Two batters later Vivirito almost hit a round-tripper of her own with a smash high off the left center field fence for a one-out double. Osthoff knocked her in moments later with a hard single through the middle for an 11-3 Waubonsee lead. Smardo, 12 for her last 16 at bats with five extra base hits and seven runs batted in, stepped up with two on and two out looking to help her own cause. The freshman from Rochelle proceeded to turn the game into a rout by hitting a lazer just out of the reach of a leaping Polichnowski in center field for a two-run double to extend the lead to 13-3.
Kishwaukee responded in the top of the fifth as Trela launched a two-run homer just to the left of the scoreboard after a Chiefs' error started the frame. Smardo worked around a one-out single and induced a ground out to Baker to end the game in five ininngs once again by the eight-run slaughter rule. Smardo finished the game 4 for 4 with two runs knocked in and two scored, registering six hits and six runs batted in on the day while picking up her sixth win in the circle. The right-handed hitter also upped her batting average to .522 overall on the season as she has hit safely in 30 of the 32 games the Chiefs have played. Osthoff ended the game 3 for 3 with three runs scored and two driven in, with Melendez and Baker each booking two hits in the victory.
Waubonsee is in action again this coming Wednesday, April 24 when they travel west to the Quad-cities to battle Black Hawk College in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Moline. The Chiefs return home on Thursday, April 25 to host Harper College in a twin bill starting at 3:00 p.m. Waubonsee is also set to host McHenry County College this coming Saturday, April 27 in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference doubleheader at noon.