2015 CCIW Softball Tournament Website

IWU vs. Augustana Photo Gallery

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan softball team topped Augustana 6-3 before shutting out Wheaton 6-0 in the nightcap to go 2-0 on day one of the 2015 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Softball Tournament held at IWU Field on Thursday, April 30.

The No. 11-ranked Titans, now 35-7 and winners of 11 straight, advanced to Friday's 12 p.m. championship game and will await the winner of the 10 a.m. game between Augustana and Wheaton. 

Senior pitcher Chloe Montgomery allowed four hits and three runs in four innings pitched while striking out two. The Marengo, Ill. native now has 18 wins this season, tied for fourth most in a single season in IWU history. The record is 22 (set by Molly McCready, 2014, and Christy Engel, 2009). Freshman Mackenzie picked up her first save of the season, going three innings and giving up only one hit.

The Titans took a 1-0 lead after the first-inning when junior Mary Rankin doubled to left field, scoring senior centerfielder Hannah Bowen. Augustana knotted the score at one with a solo home run in the top of the second before Ill. Wesleyan responded with four runs of their own capped by junior catcher Danielle Smith's two-run home run to left field.

The Vikings added single runs in the third and fourth innings while IWU added a single run of their own in the third off a Cassidy Tarpey single down the left field line scoring pinch runner Stephanie Prentice.

Bowen led all players going three-for-four at the plate with one RBI and scored two runs while sophomore third baseman Katie Caulfield had two doubles in three at-bats.

Game two featured junior Jenna Noland firing a two-hit shutout while striking out 11. Noland has now only allowed three earned runs in her last five starts, including three shutouts. 

IWU broke through in the second inning for two runs off a Montgomery single that brought home Smith and Rankin while advancing all the way to third on the throw. After adding a single run in the sixth inning, the Titans put the game out of reach with three runs in the final inning capped by a Caulfield single to center field that scored Smith. 

Caulfield again had two hits in the game while Montgomery had two hits in three plate appearances with three runs batted in. 

TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Day two of the CCIW tournament gets underway at 10 a.m. Friday, May 1, and will feature an elimination game between Wheaton and Augustana. The winner of the elimination game will then have to beat the Titans twice to win the CCIW tourney ... The Titans, who were No. 3 in this week's regional rankings, only need one win to earn the league's automatic NCAA Division III tournament bid ... The NCAA Regionals will be May 8-10 and the NCAA field will be announced Monday at 9 a.m. on a selection show at www.ncaa.com ... Illinois Wesleyan has won 12 CCIW regular season championships and four CCIW postseason tournament titles... After Thursday's two wins, IWU has a 44-23 record in CCIW postseason play ... Illinois Wesleyan has made 13 NCAA tournament appearance and three straight ...