WCC wins fourth straight ISCC crown
(Sugar Grove, Ill.) - It took three days to decide, but it was worth it for Waubonsee Community College’s softball team. The Lady Chiefs recently captured the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) softball title for the fourth year in a row. Waubonsee clinched the title by edging the College of Lake County 8-7 in 12 innings on Thursday, April 24. The Lady Chiefs finished with an 11-1 record in conference play, one game ahead of the College of Lake County. Waubonsee has compiled a 46-4 record in league play the last four seasons and captured the ISCC softball crown five times in the last eight seasons.
The two teams squared off two days earlier with the Lancers (20-16) handing Waubonsee (35-13) their first conference loss, taking game one of their twin bill 6-1. They proceeded to then engage in a back-and-forth battle in game two, which was suspended due to darkness tied at 7-all after 10 innings. When play resumed two days later, the Lady Chiefs eventually pushed across a run in the top of the 12th inning and held on for a thrilling 8-7 win. LaDesha Nelson reached on a bunt single and then stole second base. She moved to third on Ashley Blocker's infield hit and then scored the eventual winning run on another infield hit by Ashlee Kawall. Right-handed hurler Tarah Rayos then nailed down the title in the bottom half of the 12th for her 15th pitching victory of the season.
The see-saw affair included five lead changes and three ties. Waubonsee scored twice in the top of the first before the Lancers responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Lady Chiefs tied it with two in the third and grabbed a 5-4 lead with a run in the fourth. With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the sixth, Lake County then regained the lead by rallying for two runs to suddenly surge ahead 6-5. Waubonsee tied it in the top of the seventh as Casey Basic scored from third on a ground out by Hannah Prucha. In the top of the 9th Molly Jordan led off with a double to right center and Basic drove her in moments later to give the Lady Chiefs a short-lived 7-6 lead. The Lancers then tied the game back up with a one-out sacrifice fly. Lake County got the potential winning run to third base in both the 9th and 10th innings, but could not score as the game was halted as the sun set.
