NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- With a 9-5 win at North Central in game two on Thursday, April 28, the Illinois Wesleyan softball team captured the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season championship for the third straight year and for the 14th time overall.

The No. 12-nationally ranked Titans are 27-7 overall and finished 11-3 in the CCIW while the Cardinals, who won game one by a 4-3 score, are 17-15 overall and 7-5 in the league.

In game one, North Central scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the 4-3 win. With the bases loaded for North Central and a 2-2 count on Amanda Walker, Mackenzie Marquis threw a ball to make the count 3-2. Walker thought it was ball four and started walking to first when Rachele Belletini on third base began to come home. Both teams realized the mistake and IWU catcher Danielle Smith chased Belletini back to third but threw past the third baseman on the pickoff throw allowing the winning run.

Freshman centerfielder Jillian Runyon and Smith each had two of IWU's eight hits and Runyon scored a pair of runs.

Senior Jenna Noland pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. Marquis (13-4) absorbed the loss in the circle, pitching just 1/3 of an inning.

In game two, the Titans used a five-run, four-hit second inning to jump ahead of the Cardinals. Smith delivered three hits in the game with a double and three runs batted in while Runyon and sophomore rightfielder Maggie Graham each had two hits and two runs scored.

Junior Alie Tarrant (3-0) went four innings in relief of Marquis and earned the win. Tarrant allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Marquis went the first three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan plays a doubleheader at Anderson (Ind.) at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 30. The Ravens are 22-11 and have won three straight games.

NOTES: The CCIW postseason tournament will be May 5-6 at IWU softball field. The Titans and Wheaton are the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds with the other seeds to be determined this weekend ... IWU has won or shared 14 CCIW softball titles including this year. The previous conference titles were in 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015 ... IWU was also the regular season champion in 1995 but in that year, the winner of the postseason tourney was declared the league champion.