The Illinois Springfield softball team put together a dominant performance on Saturday, sweeping Lake Erie in a doubleheader with a pair of run-rule victories. The Prairie Stars took game one 9-0 in five innings before rolling to a 9-1 win in game two.
GAME ONE | W, 9-0 (5 innings)
- UIS wasted no time setting the tone in the opener, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Taylor Zawacki reached on a fielder's choice to bring home Ella Brinkley.
- The Prairie Stars broke the game open in the third inning, scoring eight runs behind a combination of clutch hits and patience at the plate. Isabella Wilson extended the lead with an RBI fielder's choice, followed by an RBI single from Malia Bender. Rosie Bartletti and Nyla Cooper both drew bases-loaded walks to make it 5-0 before Lilly Hurt added another run with a fielder's choice. A wild pitch brought in another run, and Brinkley capped the inning with a two-run single, securing a dominant 9-0 advantage.
- Rosie Bartletti was dominant in the circle, tossing four shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six. Taylor Zawacki closed it out with a perfect fifth inning to seal the run-rule victory.
- Lake Erie managed to get on the board in game two, but UIS controlled the game from start to finish. Koral Keehner had a standout performance, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, including a key two-run double in the second inning that helped UIS build an early lead.
- Addyson McClure followed with an RBI triple, and Brinkley doubled in another run to make it 4-0 after two innings.
- UIS continued to extend its lead in the third, as Cooper delivered a two-run single, bringing home Bartletti and Bender for a 6-0 advantage.
- Lake Erie got on the board in the fifth, scoring an unearned run on an error, but UIS responded immediately. Keehner added another RBI single, Sophie Rivera followed with an RBI hit, and Brinkley closed out the scoring with her second RBI double of the game, securing a 9-1 run-rule victory.
- McClure earned the win, allowing just one unearned run over 4.1 innings, while also contributing at the plate. UIS posted 12 hits in game two, with Bender, Keehner, and Brinkley leading the offensive charge.
With the sweep, UIS improves to 9-7 on the season, while Lake Erie drops to 0-8. The Prairie Stars will look to continue their winning momentum as they head into an 11:00 a.m. tournament closing game against Purdue Northwest at the UIS Softball Complex on Sunday.