Millikin Softball Sweeps DH, Shelton Garners Big Hits

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Published on March 25 2014 9:28 am
Last Updated on March 25 2014 9:28 am
Written by Millie Lange

DECATUR, Ill. -- The Millikin softball team swept a doubleheader from Loras College Sunday at a frigid Borg Warner Field in Decatur.  Millikin won game one 8-3 and took the second game
10-2 in six innings.

Trailing 1-0, Millikin broke open game one with a seven run third inning.  Millikin opened the scoring when Alyssa Visvardis (Homer Glen, Lockport Township H. S.) singled home two runners with the
base loaded and the Big Blue got a third run on the play as the ball got by the Loras centerfielder.  Raeshel Braden (Decatur, St. Teresa H. S.) doubled home Visvardis and later in the inning
Meghan Matthews (Clinton, H. S.) doubled home two more runs.

Millikin added a single run in the sixth inning on a Visvardis two-run home run.  Visvardis was 3-4 on the game with three RBIs and two runs scored.  Matthews and Hillary Shelton (Beecher City, H. S.) each had two hits for Millikin.  Pitcher Taylor Hull (Decatur, MacArthur H. S.) improved to 6-3 on the season picking up the win throwing seven innings and striking out eight.

Braden was the story for Millikin in the second game homering in each of her first two at-bats including a grand slam in the third inning.  She finished the game 3-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored.

Shelton was 3-3 and Becca Thompson (Hanover Park, Schaumburg H. S.) was 2-4 with two RBIs.

Freshman Nicole Koch (Morton, H. S.) picked up the win on the hill for the Big Blue allowing two earned runs and six hits over six innings.

Millikin is now 8-7 while Loras drops to 8-6. Millikin will be back in action on March 29-30 hosting the Big Blue Tournament.  Millikin will open the tournament on Saturday at 9 a. m. against Carroll
University.  The tournament field features some of the Midwest top teams including Wisconsin-Platteville, Wisconsin-Steven Point, Illinois Wesleyan and Beloit College.