Down by a single tally, the Volunteers scored two runs off starter Geri Whitman in the top of the third inning to take the lead. Hanna Brindisi and Celci Mueller walked to start the frame. Lara Runge then banged one off the fence in center, but Jenna Cochran, pinchrunning for Brindisi, went back to tag at second and got a late start. A perfect relay throw home nipped Cochran at the plate for the first out. Mueller advanced to third on the play.

Nicole Cheek then grounded to short. The throw home in an attempt to get Mueller was in the dirt and got away from the catcher, allowing Mueller to score the tying run. Runge also came around to score on the play.

The Vols moved ahead 3-1 in the fourth when Ragan Dunn singled, stole second and scored on Lara Runge's single. Logan had a chance to blow the game wide open the next inning, but Tiffany Pinnick lined into a double play with two runners on base.

Logan got some breathing room in the seventh when Rachelle Runge doubled and scored on Pinnick's RBI single on a 3-0 count.

Sophomore righthander Chelsea Wallace committed a one-out throwing error in the bottom of the seventh, but the veteran hurler pitched around the miscue to pick up her 15th win of the spring against only four losses.

"We were able to take advantage of some bobbles that they made in the third inning that led to a couple of runs and then scored a couple on our own and that was enough to get it done with Chelsea's pitching," said Vols head coach Bruce Jilek.

"It was really exciting. I'm glad I got the ball and was able to help the team out. I can't wait for nationals and I know the other girls can't wait either."

Lara Runge paced the Logan offense with three hits. Kellerman also had multiple hits with two safeties in three at bats. Rachelle Runge, Pinnick and Dunn all collected one hit.

"We just came out and played the best we could," centerfielder Lara Runge said. "We got on base and pushed the ball around and made them play. Today, we were fortunate enough to come out on top."

Runge said a trip to nationals is humbling.

"But I think we deserve to be out there. We have worked hard to get where we are at."

CARTERVILLE, Ill. - Rend Lake College split 7-6 and 8-7 in a hard-fought matchup with John A. Logan College yesterday in GRAC baseball action on the road.

The Warriors and Volunteers were fighting for a valuable third-place spot in the league until Olney Central's win column was inflated by two games after an ineligibility was discovered on Southwestern Illinois College's roster. SWIC was forced to forfeit two wins over OCC which put the Blue Knights in third place in the league earlier today.

In the 7-6 loss: RLC chipped away at a 6-3 lead by scoring two runs in the fifth inning. Logan added a run in the sixth to go up 7-5. RLC tacked on one run in the seventh when Daniel Peters moved George Oquendo to third who scored off Ray Delvalle's sacrifice fly. But it wasn't enough as the Warriors came up short.

Nathan Dorris picked up the loss in the first game. Ray Fuentes went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored for RLC, and Zach Labuwi had a home run and two RBI.

Derek Trovillion homered for three runs in the first for Logan. Greenwell went 2-4 with a home run and two RBI for the Volunteers.

Rend Lake overcame a 7-1 deficit to take the nightcap 8-7 in extra innings.

Luke Shuemaker started and threw six and a third-innings for RLC in the nightcap before AJ Martin stepped in for the final three and two-thirds to pick up the win with four strikeouts. The two helped hold the Vols scoreless over seven innings.

Logan scored its only runs in the first and second innings.

RLC scored the winning run in the top of the ninth off a fielder's choice by Richard Arias that scored Labuwi from third.

Delvalle went 3-5 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Tyler O'Daniel was 3-5 and Fuentes had a monster day, going 2-5 with a double and a home run for four RBI. Labuwi and Oquendo homered. Oquendo's was a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left field.

RLC, now 13-8 in the league and 24-21 overall, is tied for third place in the GRAC with OCC. They are ahead of a 13-11 JALC team. RLC will host Lincoln Trail Saturday and head there on Sunday. Saturday's double header is at noon.

Player of the Year           Jesse Perry            John A. Logan

Coach of the Year           Mark Imhoff         John A. Logan

Freshman of the Year   Moussa Gueye    Lake Land

Sportsmanship Award  Kreig Oxley          Wabash Valley

Southwestern Illiinois and John A. Logan have moved up their Saturday doubleheader at SWIC  to Friday at noon due to the bleak weather forcast for the weekend.   The first game of the series scheduled for Thursday will be played at 2pm at Minors field in Marion, Illinois

All seven games will be played at Rend Lake College.

INA, Ill. -  Coach Ashley Allen's game plan for the Feb. 17 conference matchup with Kaskaskia College may have included being down late in the second half. She may have even planned for foul trouble. But there was no way she could have seen this coming.

Starting the game with only seven players, and coming out of halftime down 57-39 and without guard Keke Spurling, the Lady Warriors didn't just last the final seven minutes with only four players. They came back from an 11 point deficit to win! A very excited Allen called the 89-87 victory "the game of the century.

"I've never seen a game played that long with four on five," Allen said. "It was an unbelievable game."

With only seven players and 25 fouls called in the first half, nearly everyone left on Allen's roster was in foul trouble at the start of the second. One of RLC's top scorers, Kujania Walker, fouled out. Then center Heather Murphy was called for her fifth. That left RLC with only four players and an eternity left on the clock. Kaskaskia started with eight players, none of whom fouled out.   

"I honestly thought, we've done it before and we can do it again. Plus, we practice with four people," Allen said. "They would double team whoever had the ball. So, I told them 'We are going to shoot threes.' When I told them to shoot, they shot it. When it went in, we said thank goodness. If it didn't, we had to rebound. It was one of those games where you had to be there to believe it. They played hard, but it was by the grace of God."

RLC used every one of its timeouts and tied the game with only 19 seconds left when sophomore Megan Clark fouled and sent KC to the line. Freshman Misty Webster was the only player on the floor for RLC to have less than four fouls. The Blue Angels went up by three when Allen drew up a play to give RLC's leading scorer, freshman Cierra Dotson, a good look to tie. She didn't get the good look, but she did get the bucket.

"She hit the toughest three ever, with two people on her in the corner," Allen explained.  

Tie game. Less than five seconds left. RLC trapped KC's inbound pass and got a turnover. A designed alley-oop play to freshman forward Talaya Earls drew a foul. Earls stepped to the line and sunk both free throws with eight-tenths of a second left to close the lid on the Lady Warriors' 15th win of the season.

KC sophomore Keianna Evans led all scorers with 13 of 15 from the line for 33. Dotson led RLC with 30, Clark had 19, Earls put up 23 and Webster had 10. 

RLC is now 15-12 overall and 8-5 in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference. Tonight's win could bump RLC up to second or third in the league. The Lady Warriors will head to Wabash Valley College on Monday.   

RLC Lady Warriors 37 89 - Dotson 13 3-3 30, Walker 2 0-0 5, Clark 7 1-2 19, Earls 7 8-10 23, Webster 4 2-2 10, Murphy 1 0-0 2. 3-pointers 7 (Dotson, Walker, Clark 4, Earls), Team fouls 23, Foul outs - Walker, Murphy.

KC Blue Angels 57 87 - Fark 2 0-0 5, Klinkel 1 2-2 4, Evans 8 13-15 33, Oulrey 3 2-2 11, Smith 6 3-3 17, Williams 0 2-2 2, Holder 4 1-2 10, Herron 3 0-0 6. 3-pointers 11 (Fark, Evans 4, Oulrey 3, Smith 2, Holder), Team fouls 18, Foul outs - none.