2016 NCAA Softball Regional Website

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Behind an outstanding pitching performance from sophomore Mackenzie Marquis, the Illinois Wesleyan softball team won the 2016 Bloomington, Ill., Regional with a 3-0 victory over DePauw University on Sunday, May 15, at IWU Softball Field.

The No. 18-nationally ranked Titans (33-10) get their second regional title in the last three years and will play at No. 5-ranked Luther College (39-3) in the NCAA Super Regional round May 20-21 in Decorah, Iowa. The Super Regionals are a best two-of-three series at 16 sites and the eight winners will advance to play in the NCAA finals May 26-31 at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.

Marquis, who was selected as the regional's "Most Outstanding Player", limited the Tigers to three hits in the shutout while striking out five.
In the tournament, Marquis was 3-0 and pitched 18 innings, allowing one unearned run and seven hits.
She was joined on the all-regional team by senior catcher Danielle Smith, senior first baseman Cassidy Tarpey and freshman second baseman Julie Josten.

Illinois Wesleyan, which got six hits in the game, got a home run from Josten to lead off the second inning and take a 1-0 lead.

IWU added their other two runs in the fourth as Tarpey led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Katie Caulfield. Sophomore rightfielder Maggie Graham doubled down the rightfield line to bring home Tarpey. Heads-up baserunning by Graham allowed her to advance to third on a foulout to the catcher by freshman centerfielder Jillian Runyon, and Graham scored an unearned run on a passed ball.
 
NOTES: Playing in their fifth straight NCAA postseason, the Titans are 30-28 overall in 15 NCAA appearances ... Illinois Wesleyan won its 14th College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regular season title in 2016, its third straight and fourth in the last five seasons ... This is the fifth straight year and the 18th time overall for an IWU team to win 30 or more games. The record is 41 wins (41-7) in 2014 ... IWU's next opponent, the Luther College Norse, has a 39-3 record with two of those losses to St. Catherine's, who they beat 3-1 to win the regional ... Senior second baseman Miranda McCay (.378, 12 2B, 43 runs) was named Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Position Player of the Year and, for the second straight season, junior Amanda Witzlib (15-2, 1.17 ERA) was named the IIAC Pitcher of the Year.