College softball update: Ella Hermes, Bella Pinter teaming up again for Illinois Wesleyan

Ella and Bella. Bella and Ella.

They have played a lot of softball together, won a lot of games together, winning high school state championship for St. Bede in 2023.

This spring, Ella Hermes and Bella Pinter have taken their game to the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University and have continued their winning ways for the Titans softball team.

The Titans finished the regular season at 31-7 with a Sweet 16-0 run through the CCIW conference championship and the two St. Bede products have been big contributors.

Hermes, like she was at St. Bede garnering BCR Player of the Year honors, has been a dual threat for the Titans. She is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 10 appearances in the circle, including three starts and two complete games. At the plate, she is batting .388 with a homer and six RBIs.

Pinter, who is filling a utility role for the Titans, is ranked among team leaders with a .358 batting average (third), five homers (second), 25 RBIs (fifth), five doubles (fifth) and .547 slugging percentage (fourth) while stealing four bases in five attempts.

Both girls are enjoying their college experience and getting to do it together is icing on the cake.

“I love it here,” Hermes said. “We just finished up classes last week so now we are all softball. The transition was difficult at first, but now I’m sad I have to leave soon. There is nothing like IWU softball and I am so thankful for my experiences here. It’s been so fun getting to do it all with Bella.”

“College has been an incredible experience, and so much fun. I have met so many wonderful people and created the best new friends,” Pinter said. “The season is going well. I would say that the transition has been pretty smooth which I would attribute to my amazing coaches and teammates. Everyone is so supportive and helpful.

“Being able to do it all with Ella has been great. We have been putting in so much work in practice and can’t wait for the postseason to start.”

The 22nd-ranked Titans will take the No. 1 seed into the CCIW Tournament it is hosting at Inspiration Field at Carol Willis Park in Bloomington beginning Thursday.

Both Hermes and Pinter are majoring in Kinesiology and Allied Health.

Classmate Reagan Stoudt, also a big contributor to the Bruins’ state championship and postseason runs, is a freshman pitcher at Div. 1 University of Texas-San Antonio. She has made 31 appearances for the Roadrunners (21-33) with nine starts, one complete game and one save, sporting a 5.01 ERA.

Another former St. Bede teammate, Payge Pyszka, is a junior pitcher for Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. She has made 21 starts for the Pride (23-23), posting a 9-10 record and 4.86 ERA with nine complete games.

Princeton’s Katie Kammerer, is a freshman utility player for Sauk Valley.

Three Putnam County products, sophomore Kara Staley (P) and freshmen Paxton Stunkel (P/IF) and Kylee Moore (C/OF), are playing at IVCC.