2016 NCAA® Division III Softball Regional Website

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan senior catcher Danielle Smith had a home run, a double and three runs batted in to propel the Illinois Wesleyan softball team to a 7-2 opening round win over Hanover in the 2016 NCAA Division III regional at IWU Softball Field in Bloomington on Friday, May 13.

The Titans are 31-10 and will face Washington U., a 2-1 winner over DePauw, at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 14 in a winner's bracket game. Washington U. is 35-10 while Hanover slipped to 20-19 and will meet DePauw (29-17) in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

IWU trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the third when senior leftfielder Mary Rankin walked with one out before Smith powered a ball over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer. Smith, who finished with three hits, also delivered a run scoring double in the sixth.

Senior first baseman Cassidy Tarpey was 3-for-3 with two RBI in the game and freshman centerfielder Jillian Runyon also had two hits in a 12-hit Titan attack.

Sophomore Mackenzie Marquis pitched the final four shutout innings to earn the win, allowing two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Senior starter Jenna Noland went the first three, allowing two unearned runs on four hits with four strilkeouts.

Freshman Sydney Griffin (14-8) was the losing hurler for the Panthers, allowing only three earned runs on 12 hits while striking out five. Catcher Tori Luster had two of Hanover's six hits.

TITAN NOTES: Illinois Wesleyan and WashU have split 22 all-time meetings in softball ... Illinois Wesleyan swept a doubleheader on March 29 in St. Louis by scores of 5-1 and 4-0 when the Bears were ranked No. 6 in the country.