Wetherell’s Extra-Inning HR Sends Chargers to Split at Sauk Valley
Aaron Frey
Monday, April 24, 2017 10:51 AM
Athletics
Dixon, IL
Zoe Wetherell (Washington, Ill./Washington) delivered a two-run home run in extra innings in Game 2 to help the Carl Sandburg College softball team split its Arrowhead Conference doubleheader at Sauk Valley on Sunday. Wetherell’s clutch shot lifted the Chargers to a 5-3 win in Game 2 after the Skyhawks won the opener 11-6.
Sandburg (7-31, 4-8) led 3-1 in Game 2 before Sauk Valley tied it with single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings. It stayed that way until the eighth, when Chloe Sullivan (Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale) led off with a single and Wetherell followed with a blast to left field. It was her team-leading third homer of the season, with all of them coming in her last five games.
The Skyhawks opened the bottom of the eight with a base hit off Kelsie French (Camanche, Iowa/Camanche), but she retired the next three batters to earn the complete game victory. The sophomore won her team-best fifth decision of the season and improved to 4-2 against conference opponents.
Wetherell finished the contest 2 for 4 and added an RBI base hit in the third. Chelsea Lesniewski (Fulton, Ill./Fulton) also had two hits, including a homer to left in the first for an early 1-0 lead. Sullivan, Emily Ziegler (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) and Ashley Anglin (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour ) also added a pair of hits for Sandburg.
The Chargers led 6-4 after the third in Game 1 before the Skyhawks scored seven unanswered runs. Jordan Guedet (Washington, Ill./Washington) went 2 for 4 with a triple and a two-run single for the Chargers. Lesniewski doubled twice in four at-bats, and Sullivan and Adre Vetter (Emden, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden) also had two hits apiece.
Sandburg will close the regular season with contests at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Kishwaukee, 3 p.m. Wednesday at Spoon River and 3 p.m. Thursday at home against Sauk Valley before opening Region IV tournament play next week.