Logan Softballers Let Bats Do Talking in Sweep of SIC
Sophomore outfielder Lara Runge (Carterville) locks onto a pitch Saturday at Southeastern Illinois. Runge had five hits, including a home run and three runs batted in during the doubleheader.
With the win, the Volunteers improve to 3-1 in the league and 5-1 overall. The Falcons drop to 0-2.
In game one, Logan scored 12 runs in the second inning to blow the contest wide open and win, 14-1. Freshman Tiffany Pinnick (Fairfield) and sophomore Ragan Dunn (Carbondale) each slugged two-run homers to highlight the frame.
Two other sophomores – Rachelle Runge (Carterville) and Natalie Grant (Johnston City) led the team with three hits each. Runge had a triple, double and two runs batted in. Grant had a double and RBI. Dunn finished with two hits and four ribbies. Lara Runge was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Adding one hit each were: Pinnick, Nicole Cheek (Pinckneyville), Hailey Stephens (Marion), Mandi Kellerman (Pinckneyville) and Brittany Ashton (Carterville).
Shayly Wilce (West Frankfort) earned the win for the Vols. She worked five innings, struck out five and walked none in improving her spring mark to 2-0.
JALC freshman pitcher Shayly Wilce (West Frankfort) was the winning pitcher Saturday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader with Southeastern Illinois College. Wilce struck out five and walked none in her five innings of work. She is now 2-0 on the spring.
Hanna Brindisi was 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Lara Runge was 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Celci Mueller (Murphysboro) stroked three hits with a double and two ribbies. Rachelle Runge had two hits with a double and drove in three. Jenna Cochran (Elverado) and Kellerman added two hits each. Pinnick was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer. Cheek and Wilce also had base hits.
The Vols’ big innings were the second and fourth when they scored five times each. Pinnick’s two-run blast was the key blow of the second. Brindisi’s three-run shot highlighted the fourth. Lara Runge went yard in the third.
“We hit some more home runs and several balls that went into the gap and to the fence today,” said Logan head coach Bruce Jilek. “I also thought both our pitchers – Shayly and Britt – did a good job. Shayly kept the ball down most of the time. Britt, at times, was sharp. Missing a full year obviously hurt her, but she has shown flashes of being the kind of pitcher she was when we saw her play at Carterville.”
Dunn said it was important for the Vols to bounce back from Thursday’s split at Rend Lake by getting two wins against SIC.
“Winning today was definitely a confidence builder after the Rend Lake doubleheader,” she said. “I’m just trying to have fun my last semester here, help the team out and be a leader for the freshmen.”
Logan now travels to Cocoa Beach, Fla. this week, where it is scheduled to play 11 games in five days before returning home March 14 in a doubleheader with Kirkwood.