Softball Rallies vs. Joliet in Busy Weekend
Aaron Frey
Monday, April 17, 2017 10:21 AM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
The Carl Sandburg College softball team jumped to a big lead early then rallied late to win Game 1 of a doubleheader it split with Joliet on Saturday afternoon. Sandburg came back for a wild 13-12 win in the opener before dropping Game 2 8-5. That came a day after the Chargers were swept 14-1 and 9-4 at Madison (Wis.) on Friday.
Sandburg jumped to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of the first game against Joliet but needed a four-run fifth to help finish off a comeback victory. The Chargers tied it at 12 on a run-scoring groundout from Zoe Wetherell (Washington, Ill./Washington). They grabbed the lead one batter later as Chloe Sullivan (Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale) scored when Adre Vetter’s (Emden, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden) grounder to first couldn’t be handled.
Wetherell totaled three RBIs in the contest, and the Chargers rapped out 17 hits, with four coming from leadoff batter Lexi Strange (Emden, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden). Ashley Anglin (Seymour, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) and Sam Mayberry (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) each had three hits. Mayberry also walked twice and scored three times.
Sandburg’s rally gave Katie Weeks (Seaton, Ill./Mercer County) her first victory of the season, and Kelsie French (Camanche, Iowa/Camanche) tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the save.
French knocked in two runs in Game 2, but the Chargers never led in an 8-5 loss.
Sandburg was held without a hit in Friday’s opening contest at Madison. The Chargers did get on the board in the fourth, though, after two walks, a wild pitch and a Sullivan sacrifice fly.
Sandburg matched the Wolfpack in the hit column in Game 2 (12 aside), but committed three errors to Madison’s none. Sullivan and Chelsea Lesniewski (Fulton, Ill./Fulton) each drove in two runs for the Chargers. Lesniewski, Wetherell, Abbey French (Alexis, Ill./United) and Jordan Guedet (Washington, Ill./Washington) each had two hits in the loss.
The Chargers are back in action with a nonconference twinbill against Lincoln at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the William “Bill” Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex.