Box Score 1
    On April 23rd, the Heartland Softball team returned to the Corn Crib, where they faced the Illinois Central College Cougars. The doubleheader against the #19 nationally ranked team was a tight competition as the Hawks fought to stay with the Cougars.

    Game one was a battle of the pitchers with only two runs scored through seven innings. ICC got on the board first in the second inning when an RBI single plated their first run. They found home once again on a homerun that snuck out of the ballfield in the top of the seventh. That wasn't without a strong outing from sophomore pitcher, Tayla Eaves. She was able to put on a strong performance, allowing four hits and one earned run, walking two and striking out four.
    At the plate, a few of the Hawks found the bases with Ellie Ward leading the charge with a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Bella Johnson and Araceli Condie-Espinosa had a single each. Sophia Beckett ended the sixth inning with a double in hopes of scoring a run, but Ward was unsuccessful at making it to home. The first game ended with the Hawks down 0-2 and were ready to bounce back for game two shortly after.

    The lineup didn't waste any time putting runs up in game two. Ward put the Hawks on the board with a home run to end the 1st inning, 3-0. #23, Condie-Espinosa scores in the bottom of the 2nd inning after an error at first base. After another error by the Cougars, the Hawks ended the inning with two more runs. #11 Beckett starts off the bottom of the 3rd with a home run to put the offense ahead 7-0. The Cougars gained momentum after a pitching change and eventually got two runs in the top of the 5th. The Cougars had a very strong showing and got 5 runs in the top of the 7th to tie the game up and send game two into extras. With a tense bottom of the 8th, Johnson sat on 1st, Beckett on 2nd, and Abigail Witt on 3rd base. Keerrah Brown walked it off with a four-pitch walk to win the game!
    The defense had a strong start in the first few innings, holding the Cougars off in the first four innings. Two great catches from Kendall Lowery in left field ended the top of the third without a score let up. Brown threw the eight innings with five hits allowed through 38 batters. The freshman gave up six earned runs with three walks and two strikeouts to end her outing.

    The Hawks will take a couple of days before returning to the Corn Crib on Sunday, April 26th, where we will recognize our sophomores during our game against Danville Area Community College.