PEORIA, Ill. - A perfect game by senior Ally Wiegand (Downs, Ill.-Downs-Tri-Valley) in game one and a trio of home runs in game two gave the No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan University softball team a season-opening sweep of Illinois College Thursday afternoon, Feb. 20, inside the Louisville Slugger Dome. Wiegand's masterpiece propelled the Titans (2-0) to a 4-0 win over the Lady Blues (0-2) in game one, while an offensive outburst gave IWU an 11-2 run-rule win in the night cap.

Game One: Illinois College 0, Illinois Wesleyan 4
Wiegand's record-setting performance paired with timely hits from sophomores Colleen Palczynski (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect) and Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington) fueled the Titans to a 4-0 game one victory.

Wiegand faced the minimum over seven innings, striking out a school record 19 batters. She bested the previous school record, which she shared with Molly McCready, by two. In addition to being the second perfect game by the Titans since 2003, Wiegand's gem was the first seven-inning perfect outing in school history. She joins Chloe Montgomery who threw a five-inning perfect game against Wheaton (Mass.) March 14, 2013.

All of Illinois Wesleyan's run production came in the bottom of the fourth, as the Titans scored four runs on three hits. Palczynski broke the scoreless tie with a solo shot to right field to put IWU in front, 1-0. After a walk by Mia Massaro (Homer Glen, Ill.-Providence Catholic), a single by Hannah Heraty (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville), and another walk by Lexy Trammell (Peoria, Ill.-Limestone), Earl roped a bases-clearing double to give Illinois Wesleyan the final 4-0 advantage.

Game Two: Illinois College 2, Illinois Wesleyan 11 (5 inn.)
In the second game, Illinois College got out in front with a two-run opening frame, but IWU 
responded with a home run by senior Sam Berghoff (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney Young) with one out to cut the deficit in half. The other run was scored by senior Shelby Fulk (El Paso, Ill.-El Paso-Gridley) on an error to tie up the score.

The second inning featured back-to-back RBI knocks by Heraty on a single and freshman Nora Adams (Chesterfield, Mo.-Nerinx Hall) to make the score 4-2. Another home run by Berghoff, which tied the all-time IWU career record to push the lead 5-2.

Earl broke the game open with a two-run shot, and extended IWU's lead to 7-2.

Illinois Wesleyan tacked on three more on four hits in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach. A leadoff walk by Adams was followed by a Berghoff single, bringing Palczynski to the plate for an RBI knock. Fulk then drove in Berghoff, before scoring on a fielder's choice. Freshman Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood) wrapped up the scoring with a RBI single in her first career at bat to give the Titans an 11-2 run-rule win.

Senior Brea Walker (Gibson City, Ill.-GCMS) went 4.0 innings in the circle, striking out seven, while sophomore Madie Monk (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno) tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth.

Illinois Wesleyan returns to action at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Ariz., March 6-8. IWU kicks off the spring break trip against No. 2 Texas Lutheran Friday night, March 6, at 6 p.m. MT.