BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The Illinois Wesleyan softball team downed Carthage, 3-1, on Saturday, May 4, to win its third straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament championship at the IWU Softball Field.

Photo Gallery, IWU vs. Carthage

Illinois Wesleyan (33-7 overall) has won five of the last six conference titles and is a 14-time CCIW Softball Tournament champion.

Illinois Wesleyan earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship and the full national field will be announced at 1 p.m. EST on Monday, May 6 via an NCAA.com selection show.  Illinois Wesleyan will be making its eighth straight appearance, and 18th overall, into the NCAA Division III championships after a second-place national finish a year ago.

In the championship game, junior Ally Wiegand (19-2) allowed three hits and struck out 12 as Carthage's lone run came on a second inning solo homer. The Titans scored their three runs in the fourth inning. Brittany Murphy led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Julie Josten and scored on an Amanda Rogers single. After Nicki Lewis bunted Rogers along to second, she scored on a double by senior Jillian Runyon.
Mia Massaro knocked home Runyon with a single for the final Titan run.