KENOSHA, Wis. — The Lawrence University softball team scored in every inning but the first on Sunday to take the nightcap and split a Midwest Conference doubleheader with Illinois College.
Illinois College won the opener 8-0 in five innings, and Lawrence took the second game 6-3 in games played at Carthage College due to rain in southern Illinois. The split clinched a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for Illinois College (21-15, 13-7 MWC) and eliminated the Vikings (18-14-1, 11-8) from tourney contention.
In the nightcap, Lawrence starter Jessica Demski held the Lady Blues scoreless on five hits over six innings to get the win. Maddie MacLean got the final two outs for her third save of the season and went 2-for-3 and drove in a run.
After the opening inning, Lawrence scored a single run in every frame. MacLean had a run-scoring single in the second to put Lawrence on top, and the Vikings sandwiched unearned runs in the third and fifth around Demski’s squeeze bunt in the fourth that scored Kori Looker.
The Vikings made it 5-0 on Tierney Duffy’s RBI single in the sixth, and Anna Wawiorka stole home as part of a double steal for a 6-0 lead in the seventh.
The Lady Blues collected four hits off Demski in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-2. MacLean came in with one out and gave up a sacrifice fly before recording a ground out to pick up the save.
In the opener, Amanda Price allowed only two hits over five innings to record the shutout for Illinois College. MacLean allowed nine hits and eight runs to take the loss.
Illinois College led 3-0 before scoring five times in the third to pull away.