Wilmington slugs three homers to complete sweep of Herscher

WILMINGTON – There are good offensive days, and then there are days the Wilmington softball team had at Tuesday’s Illinois Central Eight Conference home game against Herscher.

After falling behind 3-0 after half an inning, the Wildcat bats went wild, as home runs from Taylor Stefancic, Madisyn Rossow and Ally Allgood were part of a 13-hit day and 13-3 win in six innings for the Wildcats.

After a 6-2 win at Herscher Monday, the Wildcats (12-2, 5-1) extended their winning streak to five games and maintaining pace atop the ICE with Manteno. The Tigers, who entered the week in a three-way tie atop the conference, fell to 9-4 (3-3).

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Wilmington's Madisyn Rossow hits a pitch for a grand slam during a home game against Herscher Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

The Tigers struck first off the jump, as pitcher Anistin Hackley’s first of two doubles at the plate drove in two of Herscher’s three first-inning runs for an early 3-0 lead. Matched up against one of the conference’s most trusted arms in Hackley and the Tigers’ own deep lineup, Stefancic said the team knew they’d have to have the great day they wound up having at the plate.

"Today, we came into the dugout down three and knew we had to jump on them," Stefancic said. “If we didn’t jump on them, it’s hard to come back when you’re down. We knew Anistin was pretty good, we just got a jump on her and got that job done. We had to keep our heads high knowing that they were gonna hit, and we had to hit.”

They did just that, getting one run back in the first before Stefancic drilled a three-run home run in the second that gave the Wildcats a lead they’d never relinquish.

After a pair of bunt singles from Nina Egizio and Taryn Gilbert sandwiched Allgood reaching on a dropped third, the Wildcats suddenly found the bases loaded with nobody out in the third despite not having a ball hit further than a handful of feet. And on the next at-bat, Rossow took a 1-1 offering from Hackley and sent her first career grand slam over the left field fence.

“It was great,” Rossow said. “It felt great off the bat, I just ran and then realized the bases were loaded. It was awesome.”

By then, Wildcats starter Lexi Strohm had settled in on the rubber after Herscher’s fruitful first inning. She pitched a complete game, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits, four walks and five strikeouts, with half of those hits coming in the first inning.

After she settled in on the circle, got fully warmed up in the windy Wilmington weather and was spotted plenty of runs, Wildcats Jack Skole said Strohm didn’t just find better speed or more spin, but also increased confidence.

“There’s a reason not everyone pitches; it’s the hardest spot out there,” Skole said. “Everyone’s watching you and everyone is seeing you, so if you’re struggling, that’s a lot of pressure. It was nice to see her overcome that pressure and really get in that groove.”

After Tucek, who relieved Hackley in the circle after three innings and eight runs (six earned), seven hits, a walk and five strikeouts, got out of the fifth with Wilmington’s first goose egg, the Wildcats put things to an early end with a three-run sixth, highlighted by Allgood’s homer.

“I was due for one,” Allgood said with a laugh after joining Stefancic and Rossow in the home run department.

Stefancic (four RBIs, two runs), Allgood (two RBIs, two runs) and Keeley Walsh (one run) had two hits apiece for a balanced Wilmington lineup that got three singles, a pair of runs and an RBI from eight-hitter Addison Billingsley.

“It’s just the next man mentality, and that’s what’s separating this team now,” Skole said. “It’s nice to see. As a coach, you really don’t have a hole in your lineup when your seven and eight hitters are hitting the ball to the fence.”

Both teams will finish the week with a pair of nonconference games at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The Wildcats visit Seneca Wednesday and host Joliet Catholic Thursday while the Tigers host Pontiac Wednesday and Newark Thursday.