Softball Recap: Illinois Lutheran Takes a Loss

Illinois Lutheran had lost three straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 11-12 to make it four. They lost 9-2 to the Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 on Tuesday.

Azaylia Sanchez made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.

As for Gardner-South Wilmington, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 20-10 record this season. The result was nothing new for Gardner-South Wilmington, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.

On Gardner-South Wilmington's side, Jo Male and Maddie Simms were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Male didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Simms struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Male has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. At bat, Male went 1-for-4 with one triple and one RBI, while Simms got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs. That triple marked the first that Male has hit this season.

In other batting news, Lily Buck was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Dinelli, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.

Looking ahead, Illinois Lutheran is taking a road trip to face off against Michigan Lutheran at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Gardner-South Wilmington does not have any more games scheduled as of now.