2010 CCIW Softball Tournament Web Site
KENOSHA, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan softball team came back after a loss to eliminate top-seeded Carthage, 4-0, to stay alive for Sunday's play in the 2010 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament.
In the first game of the day, No. 2-seed IWU (who is now 27-14 overall) managed only four hits and committed four errors in a 5-0 loss to North Central.
The Titans will again face North Central (31-11) at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 9, in an elimination game and would need to win three games, including two vs. Augustana (30-11) on Sunday to win the tournament. The Vikings handed North Central a 6-1 loss in Saturday's fourth game.
Illinois Wesleyan 4, Carthage 0 - Box Score
Senior Christy Engel improved to 10-9 as she allowed only one hit in four innings and got solid relief help from freshman Alyssa Vorel (one hit in two innings) and junior Lauren James, who pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
The Titans got all four of their runs to support the pitching in the first inning, snapping a 13-inning scorless drought, on only two hits as freshman Stephanie Polich led off with a walk and stole second. With one out, Allison Ward reached on a dropped fly by the Lady Reds' rightfielder and Polich scored After a strikeout. Sophomore third baseman Kayla Mahoney walked and Jen Monaco doubled to right field to score Mahoney and Ward. Junior first baseman Kris Lee followed with a doubled down the rightfield line to bring home Monaco.
The winner of the tournament receives the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. On a weekly basis, the NCAA ranks the top eight teams in each of the eight regions and are the primary criteria used to select the 60-team Division III championship field, which will be announced Monday, May 10 at 11 a.m Central.
North Central 5, Illinois Wesleyan 0 - Box Score
In a game started in 39 degree weather in Kenosha, the Cardinals (31-10 and No. 21 in the national poll) scored all their runs in the sixth inning on only two hits with the help of three IWU errors. Lauren Schramm led off with a walk and went to third when Laura Whitfield reached on a throwing error in a sacrifice attempt. Katie Pappa singled to bring home Schramm. Laura Constantine reached on a fielder's choice as the bases were loaded on an error. Pinch hitter Katie Crawford struck out for the first out of the inning before Alyssa Rabulinski reached on a fielder's choice to pitcher and Whitfield scored on an error by catcher Kelli Flahaven. Kelli Lofgren singled up the middle to score two unearned runs against IWU starting pitcher Christy Engel (who fell to 9-9 overall). Junior Lauren James replaced Engel and induced Erin Drennan to ground out to first baseman Kris Lee unassisted. Mary Caron walked to load the bases before Rabulinski scored on a passed ball.
Freshmen Stephanie Polich and Alyssa Vorel, senior Allison Ward and junior Jen Monaco each had singles for the Titans.
In the May 5 regional poll, Carthage was No. 1, the Titans were No. 3, North Central was No. 4 and Augustana was No. 5. Carthage was also ranked No. 16 in the latest Division III national poll. Other teams in the top eight of the May 5 regional poll were Wisconsin-La Crosse (32-6) at No. 2, Benedictine University (34-5) is No. 6, Wisconsin-Whitewater (27-13) is No. 7 and Chicago (23-10-1) is No. 8.
