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2014 CCIW Softball Tournament Website

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -  The Illinois Wesleyan softball team won its first two games in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament, topping Carthage 2-1 and Augustana 4-2. Senior Molly McCready became the school's all-time leader in strikeouts on Friday, May 2.

The No. 12-ranked Titans, now 36-5, will play either Augustana or Carthage at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Those teams will do business at 10 a.m. to set up the championship game. If IWU should lose the noon game, a second championship game will take place at 2 p.m.

In game one, McCready allowed five hits and two runs while striking out nine and raising her career total to 604, topping Christy Engel's record of 600 (2007-10).
Trailing 1-0, the Titans (who were outhit 5-3) got all the runs they would need in the third inning. sophomore centerfielder Kyley McKeown led off with a solo home run. Senior Sara Rogers doubled down the leftfield line and junior Hannah Bowen walked. Both players advanced oin a wild pitch. After senior catcher Sara Daley walked, Rogers scored on a ground out by senior Allie Riordan and Bowen scored on a ground out by senior Danielle Burge.
McCready improved to 20-2 and is within three wins of overtaking Engel's season wins record of 22 (2009). Oddly enough, also in this game and in the same inning she broke the strikeout record, McCready became the school's all-time leader in walks allowed. She had four in the game and has 214, topping Engel's 211.

In game two, sophomore Jenna Noland (who improved to 11-3 in her first appearance since April 18) had the Vikings (32-10) at bay, striking out 12 and walking only one while allowing three hits, two of those solo home runs.
IWU got a solo home run from Chloe Montgomery in the third to tie the game at 1-1 and added two in the sixth when Riordan singled, went to second on a sacrifice by senior Victoria Whitaker and scored on a sharp double down the leftfield line by senior Amanda Fazzari. A single by freshman third baseman Katie Caulfield brought in Fazzari. A seventh inning solo homer by Riordan provided the Titans with an insurance run.

NOTES: IWU has set a team record with 77 doubles this year and the 30 home runs is third most with the record being 33 in 2007 ... Sara Rogers has 15 doubles and the record is 17 by Keri Leach (2013) ... The 36 wins is fifth best in a season with the record being 39 wins in both 2001 (39-14) and 2012 (39-8) ... The pitchers have 322 strikeouts and the season record is 338 (2010) ... Noland's 8.39 strikeouts per 7 innings is third best in IWU season records ...