The Illini West High School softball team earned its first victory of the season Tuesday afternoon at the expense of West Prairie/ Southeastern as the Chargers downed the Cyclones 9-5 in a Prairieland Conference game in Bowen.
WP/SE fell to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the Prairieland while IWHS improved to 1-7 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
Illini West led all the way after scoring one run in the top of the first and adding four more in the third off of WP/SE freshman starter Arianna Soule.
The Chargers eventually extended their lead to 9-0 before the Cyclones rallied late to close the gap.
WP/SE pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Ella Tippey led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. Senior Adriana Starks, who had reached on a walk, would score a short time later on a bases loaded error by IWHS catcher Bella Thompson to make it 9-2.
The Cyclones would add three more runs in the seventh as sophomore Morgan Simmons led off with a walk before stealing second and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Freshman Kendra Nelson drew another walk from Illini West starter McKenzie Yeakey and Simmons would score a short time later on another Yeakey wild pitch to make it 9-3.
A Tegan Rigg single set the table for Starks who lined a two-run double to left to get the Cyclones to within 9-5 with only one out.
But Yeakey would settle down to retire the final two batters to end the game.
Rigg went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Starks was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored to lead WP/SE.
Yeakey went the distance to earn the victory for IWHS after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits while striking out eight and walking five.
Lexis Carle led the Chargers’ offense by going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Soule took the loss for WP/SE after allowing nine runs on eight hits in six innings. Of the nine runs, only four were earned as the Cyclones’ defense committed seven errors in the contest.
“(Soule) was solid,” said WP/SE head coach Cyle Rigg. “Gives up a lot of contact, so as our defense gets better, she will be effective. Our goal is to cut down on errors and strikeouts.”
WP/SE was scheduled to take on Camp Point Central in Bowen on Thursday before traveling to Hamilton on Friday to face West Hancock in a pair of non-conference matchups.
The Cyclones were scheduled to return to conference play on Saturday to face Bushnell- Prairie City at Bushnell. But that contest has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
