SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) softball team clinched its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular-season title with a split during Saturday's GLVC doubleheader against William Jewell College.
 
"Winning the GLVC is something we've talked about all season," UIS coach Shannon Guthrie said. "Being able to make that happen was definitely something special. It has been a lot of hard work, determination and enthusiasm to get this championship and we are not done yet."
 
UIS (33-14, 20-6) shut out William Jewell College (26-20, 13-13) in a 3-0 victory in Game 1. The Cardinals secured a 7-4 win in Game 2. UIS is currently ranked No. 17 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II poll. In the latest NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll, UIS is ranked No. 2 and William Jewell is ranked No. 8.
 
GAME 1: UIS 3, WILLIAM JEWELL 0
Ali Haesele and Hannah Kain each went 2-for-3 with a double. Bree Derhake provided an RBI double. Calla Wickenhauser connected for a triple and Lakyn Wagoner delivered a double. Erin Stroup rounds out UIS's eight hits.
 
Madi Giles and Emily Hoover each added singles for William Jewell. The Cardinals tallied two hits.
 
Haesele (20-7) recorded a two-hit shutout for the win. She struck out eight batters and issued two walks in seven innings.
 
Anna Biondo (11-10) took the loss. She fanned five batters, gave up one walk, and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in five innings. Maddie Greenstreet struck out two batters and surrendered one walk and one hit in one scoreless inning.
 
In the bottom of the first inning, Wagoner scored after Stroup reached on a dropped fly ball.
 
Haesele ripped a ground-rule double and Natalie Cokel scored on an error on the play. Derhake contributed an RBI double later in the inning.
 
GAME 2: WILLIAM JEWELL 7, UIS 4
Wagoner rocketed an 11-pitch two-run homer in Game 2. The sophomore from Springfield also provided a double, going 2-for-4.
 
Stroup went 2-for-3 with a triple. Haesele, Wickenhauser and Cokel each added singles, rounding out UIS's seven hits.
 
Greenstreet finished 3-for-4 with two doubles. Hoover cranked a three-run double and Courtney Beatty produced a two-run single. Brooke Bernard connected for an RBI double while Kelsey Morgan rounded out William Jewell's seven hits.
 
Sarah Lewis (7-5) picked up the win for the Cardinals. She fanned four batters and yielded four runs on six hits in five and one-third innings. Biondo recorded her second save of the season. She tallied a strikeout and allowed one hit in one and two-thirds scoreless innings.
 
Jaycee Craver (9-4) was tagged with the loss. She punched out five batters, issued three walks and conceded five runs on five hits in four and one-third innings. Rachel Goff recorded a strikeout and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits in two and two-thirds innings.
 
Hoover connected for a three-run double in the third.
 
Wagoner cut William Jewell's lead to 3-2 by smashing a two-run blast in the fourth.
 
In the fifth, Beatty doubled in two runs.
 
Bernard cracked an RBI double in the sixth. William Jewell to a 7-2 lead when Bernard scored after Phoebe Dabbour reached on a throwing error.
 
Stroup belted a run-scoring triple in the sixth. Morgan Edwards knocked in Stroup on a sacrifice fly.
 
UP NEXT
UIS closes out the season with Senior Day against Rockhurst University (20-27, 14-12). The two teams are scheduled to face off in a GLVC doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Land of Lincoln Softball Complex. UIS will honor seniors Jordyn Larsen, Katie Wooldridge, Goff and Haesele.
 
"We need to send the seniors out on a great note and have the best Senior Day possible. Rachel, Jordyn, Katie and Ali have given this program so much. We are so thankful for these four and want to give them a great day."