(Aurora, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's softball team engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Moraine Valley Community College on Thursday evening. The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) doubleheader, played at Aurora University's Bedrosian Stadium, featured seven lead changes in the opener before the Cyclones (9-9, 4-1) won in dramatic, walk-off fashion 14-11 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Chiefs (13-10, 3-1) then hung on to take game two under the lights 4-3 in another nail-biting contest that went down to the wire on a chilly night.
Originally set to be played in Palos Hills, Moraine Valley was the home team in the opener. The Chiefs' Alyssa Perkins quickly welcomed Cyclones' starting pitcher Brooklyn Sedlak to the far western suburbs, smashing the second pitch of the game over the left center field fence for her sixth home run of the season. Moraine Valley pulled even in their half of the first by taking advantage of a leadoff walk, which came around to score on a fielder's choice ground out. The score remained that way until the top of the third when Perkins hit a towering fly ball down the left field line that barely landed in fair territory for a one-out double. AnnaMarie Vivirito followed with a single just out of reach of Cyclones shortstop Keira Clancy to drive in courtesy runner Madison Cesario. Bree Crosby then drilled a two-run opposite field homer just between the scoreboard and foul pole down the right field line for a 4-1 Chiefs' lead.
Despite the brisk temperatures the Chiefs' defense shined in the early going. Shortstop Brooke Pfeiffer made a diving stop and scrabbled to her feet to fire to first base and register the final out in the first inning to prevent a run from scoring. Catcher McKenna Ignasak then gunned down a Cyclones' runner attempting to steal second in the third inning before Moraine Valley rallied. Waubonsee starter Morgan Iwanski walked a pair of batters ahead of the Cyclones recording their first hit of the game to drive in one run. Marissa Walsh then ripped a two-out, two-run double to right center field to tie the game at 4-all.
Moraine Valley jumped ahead when Brialyn Mica bashed a two-out, two-run line drive homer that just got over the right field fence to make it 6-4. Peyton Dudzik came on in relief of Iwanski and had control issues of her own, walking the first two batters she faced before Estelle Loth blooped a single over first to score another run. Waubonsee answered right back as Maya Brito led off the top of the fifth with an infield single and then stole second. Two pitches later Perkins hit a smash past the third baseman to knock in Brito. Vivirito rocketed a single up the middle and Ionicca Rivera slapped a single to center on the ninth pitch of her at bat to load the bases with one out. Pfeiffer then hit a one-hopper back to Sedlak that looked like a potential inning-ending double play opportunity. However, the right hander threw wildly to home plate as Perkins came in to score to get the Chiefs within a run at 7-6. Waubonsee took advantage of the miscue as Mackenzie Fraus then lined a single to left to drive in both Vivirito and Rivera to give the Chiefs an 8-7 lead.
The Cyclones responded in their half of the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out on an error, walk and hit batsman. But Dudzik worked out of the jam by inducing a grounder to short that Pfeiffer fired home for a force out and then struck out Moraine Valley's Emma Hansen for the third out. A bit of misfortune allowed the Cyclones to threaten again in the bottom of the sixth as Loth lined a shot to right field that was lost in the setting sun and resulted in a one-out double. A walk and passed ball put the potential tying and go ahead runs in scoring position with one out. Dudzik struck out the next batter before another walk loaded the bases with two outs. The Cyclones' Stephanie Lohman then delivered a clutch two-strike double over Crosby's head in center field to clear the bases and put Moraine Valley back in front 10-8.
Trailing by two runs with three outs to go Crosby was hit by a pitch to start the top of the seventh and promptly stole second base. Rivera then blooped a pop up down the right field line that a sliding Jada Astorga couldn't hold on to. Rivera stole second on the next pitch and Pfeiffer laid down a perfect squeeze bunt with Crosby sliding under the tag. The Chiefs tied it on the very next pitch as Rivera scored on a wild pitch. Another stolen base and passed ball got Pfeiffer to third base with no one out. Waubonsee regained the lead when Fraus grounded out to shortstop and Pfeiffer beat the throw home from first base giving the Chiefs the lead 11-10.
Trailing by just one Moraine Valley had the top of its order coming up in the bottom of the seventh. A come backer to the mound deflected off Dudzik's glove allowing Mica to reach base to start the inning. Hansen then reached base as well when she laid down a bunt that came to a spinning stop in no man's land out in front of the plate. Mica alertly took third on the play when the Chiefs left the bag uncovered and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Waubonsee head coach Hannah Tomasko, who was a star pitcher at Aurora University from 2017 to 2021, went to hard throwing Avery Lundblad looking to hold on for the win. Lundblad quickly got an infield pop up for the first out. The right-hander then induced a grounder to second that Vivirito fielded and threw home for a force out keeping the Chiefs ahead with one out to go. However, down to her last strike Moraine Valley's Annabelle Rush pulled off the improbable, drilling a line shot walk-off, grand slam to dead center for her first collegiate home run to set off a wild celebration in the Cyclones' first base dugout.
Perkins finished the game 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two runs driven in. Vivirito, Rivera and Pfeiffer each booked two hits each and Fraus knocked in three runs. Dudzik was saddled with the loss as the Cyclones benefited from 10 walks by Chiefs' pitching and three errors that contributed to seven unearned runs for Moraine Valley.
Per ISCC rules the Cyclones were visitors in game two and got on the board first with a two-out single to center field off Lundblad, who started in the circle for the Chiefs. Waubonsee came back to tie it in the bottom of the third inning when Ignasak drilled a solo home run to center field. Three batters later the Chiefs took the lead when Perkins smashed her second home run of the day, driving an opposite field shot to right center field to make it 3-1. Moraine Valley got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth on a single, a passed ball and a two-base throwing error. Waubonsee threatened in the bottom half of the fifth but stranded a pair of runners. The Cyclones then tied it in the top of the sixth when Loth drilled a run-scoring triple with no outs. Moraine Valley had runners at second and third with one out before a base running blunder turned into a double play for Waubonsee to end the threat.
Crosby then demolished the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth for a no doubt solo homer well beyond the left center field fence to put Waubonsee in front again at 4-3. Just like the first game the Chiefs entered the seventh inning with a one-run lead needing to get three outs. Lohman started things off by ripping a line drive that went off Vivirito's glove to put the potential tying run on first base. Vivirito immediately redeemed herself with a diving stop of Madelyn Larmon's grounder up the middle. From a prone and fully extended position on the ground, the sophomore second baseman then shoveled the ball with her glove to Pfeiffer for the force out at second. Lundblad got the second out on a line drive to center field before surrendering a walk to put the potential tying run at second and the go ahead run at first base. Again, Lundblad got within a strike of finishing off the Cyclones before Sedlak, Moraine Valley's top hitter with a .491 average coming in, worked the at bat to a full count. This time Lundblad got a bit of redemption from the game one loss by inducing Sedlak to fly out to Crosby in center field for the final out.
Perkins again paced the Chiefs offense with a home run, two runs batted in and a run scored. Waubonsee managed only five hits in the nightcap but made the most of them. Lundblad earned the pitching victory allowing just one earned run over seven innings on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks. The Chiefs are at South Suburban College on Saturday and Triton College on Sunday before returning home next Tuesday, April 8, to host Prairie State College in an ISCC twin bill beginning at 3:00 p.m.
