The Illinois Springfield softball team (1-1) split its season-opening doubleheader against Roosevelt (1-1) on Friday afternoon, securing a 3-0 victory in the first game before narrowly falling 2-1 in the second.

Game One | W, 3-0
Rosie Bartletti delivered a stellar performance in the circle, allowing only three hits and striking out five batters to secure a complete game shutout. The Prairie Stars capitalized on Roosevelt's pitching, drawing seven walks and scoring two critical runs in the seventh inning to seal the win. The first four innings were a scoreless stalemate, with both teams struggling to convert opportunities into runs.

The Prairie Stars broke the deadlock in the fifth inning when Rebecca Neupauer reached base on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rachel McMullen, giving them a 1-0 lead. They maintained momentum into the seventh inning, where Bailey Masching led off with a walk, and was advanced by Neupauer and McMullen's singles to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Masching to score, followed by a groundout from Bartletti that brought Neupauer home, extending the lead to 3-0.

Roosevelt's offense was kept in check throughout, managing only three hits and leaving five runners stranded. Bartletti faced 26 batters, issued three walks, and maintained a WHIP of 0.86. Rachel McMullen contributed with a hit and an RBI, while Neupauer scored two runs and collected a stolen base. Erin Pulliam also made an impact with one hit and a walk.

"It was fun to see Rosie pick right back up and lead us in the circle," head coach Shannon Guthrie said. "She and Olivia, as seniors, really took charge and led our team, especially on defense. I was also very impressed by Rachel McMullen coming in as a freshman—she was solid behind the plate and delivered a clutch RBI to get our offense started. Our defense came together tremendously, and we had great energy to open the season."

Game Two | L, 2-1
UIS took an early lead with Rosie Bartletti reaching base on a walk and stealing second. Chloe Scroggins advanced Bartletti to third with a sacrifice bunt, setting up Olivia DeLuca's single to center field that brought Bartletti home for the game's first run, giving the Prairie Stars a 1-0 lead after the first inning.

However, the team struggled to score thereafter. Bailey Masching singled through the left side in the second inning, but the Prairie Stars left one runner on base. Roosevelt tied the game in the fifth inning on an RBI single set up by a bunt single and stolen base.

The seventh inning proved decisive as Roosevelt capitalized on a defensive error by the Prairie Stars, allowing a baserunner reach first. After a series of plays, a single up the middle brought home the final unearned run that secured a 2-1 victory for Roosevelt.

Alexis Carroll pitched five solid innings for UIS, allowing just one earned run while striking out three batters. Calista Stahlhut provided relief, pitching 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts but allowing one run. Sidney Sawyer led the team with three hits and added two stolen bases, while Bailey Masching contributed two hits in her three at-bats. Olivia DeLuca recorded one hit, drove in a run, and also stole a base.

"Again, the pitching staff did a wonderful job of keeping us in the game when we struggled to get much going offensively,"Guthrie said. "Alexis and Calista both came out strong and gave us their best in the circle. Hailey Niebrugge made some key stops to get us out of jams, and Sidney Sawyer played an incredible right field, making clutch plays. She was also fun to watch at the plate, going 3-for-3. Everyone made key contributions to keep us in the game, but we left too many baserunners in critical situations."

Coach Shannon Guthrie was pleased with her team's effort and impressed by Roosevelt's squad. "Roosevelt played a very solid game, and we are grateful to be playing this early matchup to see where we are and what we need to work on. Overall, our team did a lot of good things and played hard for day one. I'm excited to see us continue to improve as we lock in on a few things before our next outing in Chattanooga," Guthrie said.

Up Next
The Stars will head to Chattanooga, Tenn., on Feb. 6-7 for Union's Chattanooga Invitational. There, UIS will face Union, Palm Beach Atlantic, Cedarville, and Shorter.