GLVC softball conference play begins this week, with Illinois Springfield visiting Truman State in Kirksville, Mo., on Friday before hosting Quincy at the UIS Softball Complex on Sunday.

Illinois Springfield (10-7)
UIS (10-7) enters the week on a hot streak, picking up five wins while scoring 34 runs at its home tournament over the weekend. Rosie Bartletti led the pitching staff, going 3-0 with 18 strikeouts over 13 innings while allowing just one earned run. The Prairie Stars combined for a 0.68 ERA over the five-game stretch.

Malia Bender was named GLVC Player of the Week after going 7-for-11 at the tournament, including a home run against Purdue Northwest. Sophie Rivera went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. Ella Brinkley added six hits, batting .429. Nyla Cooper, Addyson McClure, and Koral Keehner also helped power UIS to a strong offensive weekend. 

Truman State (12-11)
Truman State heads into conference play after going 1-3 at the Showtime Classic, with losses to Central Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney, and a split against Missouri Southern. The Bulldogs also boast recent victories over MSU-Moorhead, Grand Valley State, and Purdue Northwest.

Cassie Smith has been a standout at the plate for Truman State, batting .467 with 35 hits. Emily Wood follows closely with a .420 average, 29 hits, and a team-leading 20 RBIs.

In the circle, Kaylyn Jones has been dominant, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.35 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 56.2 innings. Charlotte Chelich and Lydia Feiste have split a majority of the remaining innings, holding ERAs of 4.71 and 5.78, respectively. 

Quincy (2-12)
The Quincy softball team picked up two wins at last weekend's Springfield Invite, defeating Lake Erie 10-0 and 3-2. The Hawks have been winless otherwise, most recently dropping a pair of games to Purdue Northwest, 15-13 and 9-5, on Saturday in Springfield.

Kinsey Biggerstaff leads the offense with a .342 average, collecting 13 hits and scoring eight runs. Alexus Freeman (.313) and Allyson Maynard (.310) are also batting above .300.

In the circle, Kaelyn Conger holds a 3.50 ERA with 21 strikeouts over five starts (1-3 record), while Emma Stieferman has logged the most innings (30.1) but sits at 1-4 with a 5.77 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

Follow Along
Games will be streamed live on the GLVC Sports Network throughout the conference season, with live statistics available online.

A Look Ahead
The Prairie Stars have scheduled a home doubleheader against Parkside starting at on 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11.