The Illinois Springfield softball team competed in the Chattanooga Invitational on Saturday, facing Cedarville and Shorter. The Prairie Stars opened the day with a 4-0 victory over Cedarville before falling 5-4 to Shorter in the afternoon to close out a 2-2 weekend at the tournament.
GAME THREE | W, 4-0
Illinois Springfield started the day strong against Cedarville, combining timely hitting with solid pitching.
Rosie Bartletti led the way on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while allowing just three hits and no runs.
The Prairie Stars got on the board in the first inning. Bartletti singled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Chloe Scroggins, and
Olivia DeLuca's sacrifice fly brought her home for a 1-0 lead. In the third,
Erin Pulliam singled, moved to third on a Scroggins double, and DeLuca delivered an RBI single to score Pulliam.
Hailey Niebrugge added another run with a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 3-0.
In the fifth inning, Bartletti doubled and advanced to third on a Scroggins sacrifice, with DeLuca hitting another sacrifice fly to push the lead to 4-0. The pitching staff held Cedarville scoreless for the rest of the game to secure the shutout.
DeLuca finished with three RBIs on her single hit of the game, Scroggins contributed a double and scored a run, and Bartletti added two hits, including a double, with two runs scored.
Calista Stahlhut pitched the fifth and sixth, and
Addy Girard entered to pitch the final inning, preserving the shutout.
"Our team came out strong and worked together incredibly well all game long," head coach
Shannon Guthrie remarked. "It was great to see the three pitchers all come out ready to go and combine for the shutout. The first inning set the tone for the game, as we got Rosie on in the leadoff spot and then Chloe and Olivia worked together to get her home. Teamwork really was the theme of the game, with strong play in every position and solid defense. Offensively, Olivia had a huge game, driving in three runs and giving us a good at-bat every time she was up."
GAME FOUR | L, 5-4
In the second game, UIS fell in a closely contested 5-4 matchup against Shorter. The Prairie Stars jumped ahead with three runs in the third inning.
Bailey Masching led off with a double to deep right field, and
Rosie Bartletti's bunt single allowed Masching to score on a fielding error. Bartletti stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Chloe Scroggins.
Olivia DeLuca walked, setting the stage for
Hailey Niebrugge, who delivered a two-RBI double to left field. The Prairie Stars led 3-0 after three innings.
Shorter responded in the fourth inning. Bartletti doubled and stole third, with DeLuca's groundout scoring her to extend Illinois Springfield's lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Shorter surged with three runs, taking a 5-4 lead.
Despite efforts in the final innings, the Prairie Stars managed only one more hit—a seventh-inning double by
Emme Steward.
Alexis Carroll pitched four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. Bartletti recorded two hits and scored twice, and Niebrugge added a key double driving in two runs.
"We started the game up 3-0 and utilized Bailey's leadoff double in the third to get our offense going," Guthrie said. "This was not our best game defensively, and Shorter did a great job of capitalizing on that.
Emme Steward had a great game both offensively and defensively, including a double in the seventh to get us into scoring position with the tying run on second."
Up Next
Illinois Springfield now holds a 4-2 overall record. The Prairie Stars will face Shorter again on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:27 a.m. CT in Chattanooga.
