The scoreboard didn’t tell the full story for Galesburg softball April 18.
After a 3-0 loss to Dunlap, Galesburg softball coach Andrea Sampson pointed to progress — steady pitching, improved outfield play and a team working to build consistency during a demanding stretch of games.
Sampson said the Silver Streaks showed signs of progress April 18 despite the nonconference loss, pointing to strong pitching, improved outfield play and small gains her team is trying to build on.
Sampson said Dunlap’s pitcher was among the best Galesburg has faced this season, but she was encouraged by her team’s performance.
“Apart from that first inning, one little error, we gave up,” Sampson said. “They didn’t earn one of the runs. But Taylor (Lee) pitched really, really well. Our outfield was phenomenal today.”
The outfield improvement stood out for a team that struggled there earlier this season. Sampson said the Silver Streaks have worked on routes, situational awareness and the mental side of bouncing back after mistakes.
“Softball is that kind of sport where you don’t get to just be done with it and then move on,” Sampson said. “It might come right back at you again. So we’ve also been working on the mental side — being ready, staying ready and wiping it away.”
Sampson said maintaining morale has been a priority as Galesburg navigates a busy schedule with limited practice time. The team has emphasized small areas of improvement and recently started a tradition in which each player shares something she did well and recognizes a teammate.
“If we’re not going to get the full wins here, we’ve got to stack the little wins,” Sampson said.
That approach has helped the team stay encouraged during a stretch of frequent games.
“Sometimes we have these mistakes or things we need to address in practice, and we don’t even have time,” Sampson said. “It’s just time for the next game. Everybody else is doing it, too, so we’ve got to figure out how to get around it.”
The game was played in Galesburg because of April 17 storms; the Silver Streaks have an artificial turf field.
Callie Caulkins and Mary Moore had Galesburg’s two hits. Lee pitched six innings, allowing three runs with two strikeouts and no walks.
Galesburg fell to 3-14. Dunlap improved to 16-4.
The Silver Streaks have four home games this week, beginning with Rock Island on April 21. The Rocks are 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the Western Big 6.
Galesburg also hosts Illinois Valley on April 22, United Township on April 23 and Macomb on April 24. All games begin at 4:30 p.m.
Girls track meet rescheduled
Weather conditions forced the rescheduling of the Rock Island Invitational girls track meet.
Originally set for 10 a.m. April 18, the meet has been moved to 4 p.m. April 22 at Almquist Field in Rock Island.
The invitational features 14 teams, including seven Western Big 6 schools.
Softball doubleheader canceled
Carl Sandburg College’s softball doubleheader against Madison College on April 18 was canceled.
The Chargers (6-23, 4-10 Arrowhead Conference) will host Kishwaukee in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. April 21.
Men’s golf finishes fifth at Earlham
The Knox College men’s golf team placed fifth at the Earlham Spring Invitational held April 18-19 at Richmond Elks Country Club.
The Prairie Fire finished 66 over par, shooting 31 over in the first round and 35 over in the second.
Pranav Nandakumar led Knox, finishing third overall at 148 after rounds of 73 and 75.
Gabe Newman tied for 14th at 14 over. Nathaniel Zug tied for 32nd at 22 over, Saransh Raina was 35th at 23 over, and Jaxson Forman placed 50th at 30 over.
Franklin College won the 10-team event, while Indiana University East’s Braden Tedder earned medalist honors in a playoff.
Knox returns to action April 25-28 at the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship at Fair Oaks Golf Course in Collinsville.
Lawrence sweeps baseball series
Knox College dropped all three games of its Midwest Conference baseball series against Lawrence, including two 15-13 losses decided by late rallies.
The Prairie Fire fell 10-2 and 15-13 in an April 18 doubleheader, then lost 15-13 again April 19. Knox dropped to 5-27 overall and 3-12 in conference play.
In the opener, Anthony Soliz allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Thomas Wilmot’s solo home run in the sixth cut the deficit to 2-1, but Lawrence scored eight runs over the final two innings.
The second game turned into an offensive shootout. Wilmot drove in Knox’s first run, and the Prairie Fire scored three in the second and four in the third to build a 9-7 lead. Buckie Zamora homered, and Nicholas Nitti added a three-run shot.
After Lawrence took an 11-9 lead, Knox responded with four runs in the eighth, highlighted by Nitti’s two-run double. Lawrence answered with four runs in the ninth and held Knox scoreless in the bottom half.
Nitti had five hits and six RBIs in the second game. Tyler Thiem added three hits, three runs and two RBIs, while Owen Shannon scored three runs.
On April 19, Knox led 13-12 with two outs in the ninth before Lawrence hit a three-run home run to complete another comeback.
Nitti drove in four runs, and Hayden Derlein, Wilmot, Aidan McMurtrie and Thiem each had two hits.
Knox hosts Augustana at 3 p.m. April 23.
Softball splits four games
Knox College split four home games over the weekend, going 1-1 against Lawrence on April 18 and 1-1 against Harris-Stowe on April 19.
The Prairie Fire beat Lawrence 2-1 in the opener before falling 8-6 in the second game. On April 19, Knox lost 11-5 before rebounding for a 10-5 win.
Janet Lentini pitched a complete game in the April 18 win, allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts.
Lauren O’Neill doubled, Maddie Hicks had three hits, and Kara Burwell and Kylie Thomson each drove in runs.
In the second game, Knox scored six runs in the fourth inning but fell short as Lawrence scored five runs over the final two innings.
On April 19, Knox took a 5-1 lead before Harris-Stowe tied the game and pulled away with six runs in the seventh. Cheyanne Merkel had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Knox responded with a 10-5 win in the finale, scoring four runs in the fourth inning to take control. Hicks earned the win, Victoria Torres recorded the save, and Hicks, O’Neill and Chelsea McKee each had three hits.
Knox improved to 8-20 and hosts Blackburn for a doubleheader April 21.
