BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The starting pitchers on the No. 8-ranked Illinois Wesleyan softball team managed 25 strikeouts against Millikin in a doubleheader split with the Big Blue at IWU Softball Field on Wednesday, April 13.
 
Senior Jenna Noland (8-2) struck out 15 and allowed only one hit in a 4-1 win in game one and sophomore Mackenzie Marquis fanned 10 and allowed four hits in a 1-0, eight-inning loss in game two.
 
Illinois Wesleyan is now 19-5 overall and 4-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while Millikin is 12-10 overall and 1-3 in the league.
 
In game one, Noland's 15 strikeouts is tied for third most in an IWU game. Molly McCready fanned 17 against Monmouth on March 28, 2012, and Noland had 16 strikeouts against Lake Forest on May 9, 2014.
 
The Titans got two unearned runs in the third and tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth. Sophomore rightfielder Maggie Graham had two hits including a double, IWU's only extra base hit, and senior shortstop Sam Gudat provided two runs batted in.
 
In game two, Marquis (10-3) allowed only four hits, but was touched for a game-winning homer by Millikin catcher Alyssa Voegele that cleared the scoreboard in leftfield to lead off the bottom of the eighth.
 
Gudat had three of IWU's seven hits with two doubles but the Titans left eight runners on base in being shut out for the second time this year and the first time since losing 7-0 to No. 1-ranked Texas-Tyler on March 11.
 
What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan plays two CCIW doubleheaders this weekend on the road. The Titans play at Wheaton at 1 p.m. Saturday and play at Elmhurst at 12 p.m. Sunday.