Photo Gallery, IWU vs. Transylvania

Postgame Press Conference, IWU vs. Transylvania

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Brea Walker allowed just four hits in six innings and sophomore Ally Wiegand collected the pitching save as the No. 24-ranked Illinois Wesleyan softball team topped Transylvania, 2-1, in the Bloomington, Ill. regional final on Sunday, May 13 and advanced to the Super Regional round for the third straight season.
 
With a win the Titans improved to 34-10-1 and will play in the 2018 NCAA Division III Softball Super Regional round against the winner of the Wisconsin-Whitewater Regional for a chance at a trip to the NCAA Division III finals in Oklahoma City. That regional at Whitewater lost a day to rain and will conclude on Monday.

This is Illinois Wesleyan sixth regional championships all-time (2003, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018). Go here for IWU appearances in NCAA Tournament.
 
Sophomore second baseman Shelby Fulk had both the Illinois Wesleyan runs batted in, the first coming on a second inning solo home run off the leftfield scoreboard to stake IWU to a 1-0 lead. Fulk, along with junior third baseman Julie Josten, and Walker were named to the all-regional team while Wiegand was selected as the regional's "Most Outstanding Player."

In the third inning, senior designated hitter Stephanie Prentice led off with a single and advanced to third on a long single by Josten. With two outs and Josten on second with a stolen base, sophomore shortstop Sam Berghoff drew a walk to load the bases ahead of a walk to Fulk to bring home Prentice with the padding run.

Walker (10-4) struck out five and walked three in six innings and faced two batters in the seventh before giving way to Wiegand, who earned her third save of the season.

Wiegand, whose season earned run average is 0.96, now has 184 strikeouts this spring, good for fourth most in an IWU campaign and behind Molly McCready's record of 203 in 2012 and McCready (2014) and Christy Engel (2009) with 198.
In the regional Wiegand was 2-0 with two complete game shutouts, earned a save, and fanned 18 in 15 innings. Opponents hit just .087 against her.