WESSON – The nationally ranked No 9 Heartland Lady Hawks ofIllinois swept a softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon over theNo. 4 ranked Co-Lin Lady Wolves.

The Lady Hawks won the opener 3-2 and the finale 6-3.

Last year, Co-Lin edged Heartland 1-0 to each the NationalChampionship Game.

Co-Lin visits Holmes Tuesday for a doubleheader.

Heartland 3, Co-Lin 2

The Lady Hawks scoffed 3 runs in the second inning and held offthe Lady Wolves for the 1-run victory.

In the fifth inning, Co-Lin first baseman Becca Boone and leftfielder Candace Avants hit back-to-back singles. Pitcher RebeccaRousseau’s sacrifice fly to right scored Boone.

Sixth inning action saw the Lady Wolves score another run to cutthe deficit to 3-2. Catcher Missy Paulina singled with 2 outs.Pinch runner Summer Easterling advanced when Boone reach on anerror. Avants slapped an infield single and Alex Foster picked upan RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Rousseau (2-2) absorbed the loss with 2 earned runs on 6 hits, 4strikeouts and no walks.

“Rebecca gave us a chance to win,” said Co-Lin head coach AllenKent. “She did a great job against a very disciplined team at theplate. They got the 2-out hits when they needed them. We out hitthem 7-6. We had chances all game to score, leaving 11 runnersstranded. We have to got to have better at-bats in thosesituations.”

Rousseau (2-2) led at the plate, singling twice. ShortstopDaniele Wilson doubled and singled.

Heartland 6, Co-Lin 3

The Lady Hawks scored 1 run in the top of the first inning. TheLady Wolves answered back to tie the game at 1-all in the bottom ofthe first. Freshman center fielder Monea Cameron walked, stolesecond and scored on Dee Dee Walker’s single to center.

In the third, Heartland added 3 more runs to take a 4-1 lead.Co-Lin came back in the bottom of the third as Rousseau singled.Wilson doubled off the center field fence. Cameron and Fostercollected RBI singles, trimming the lead to 4-3.

Melissa McFarland replaced starter Terri Hodges in the fourthwith 2 runners on and no outs. McFarland out of the jam with noruns.

In the fifth, Heartland added 2 runs (1 unearned) to push itslead to 6-3.

Ashlyn Jones pitched the final 2 scoreless innings for the LadyWolves.

Hodges (1-2) absorbed the loss, going 3 innings She allowed 4hits and 2 walks. She gave up 3 earned runs and struck out 3.

Co-Lin left 9 runners stranded in the second game.

Chelsey Miller, Wilson and Cameron each had 2 hits for the LadyWolves. Holli Smith and Boone singled.

“Heartland is a very good team,” added Kent. “They are right atBloomington and have a fantastic recruiting area. We did a good jobof hanging with them. They only lost 1 player from last year’sthird place finishing team.

“We had out opportunities all day long, but stranded 20 baserunners on the day,” added Kent.