TUCSON, Ariz.- The No. 5  Illinois Wesleyan University softball team took charge in the first day of the Tucson Invitational doubleheader with clean sweeps over Dickinson College and Bethany Lutheran College Tuesday, March 10 in Tucson, Ariz. An offensive explosion propelled the Titans to an 8-0 win in game one with Dickinson. The Titans rewrote the record book in a 20-3 clobbering over Bethany Lutheran in the second game. 

IWU expanded their win streak to five, improving their overall record to 7-1.

Game One: No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan 8, Dickinson 0
Senior Ally Wiegand (Downs, Ill.-Downs-Tri-Valley HS) tossed 6.0 innings, giving up only two hits, and striking out seven. IWU out hit the Red Devils 9-2 and performed an errorless game compared to Dickinson's three. 

The Titans got out front with a two-run opening frame when senior Mia Massaro (Homer Glen, Ill.-Providence Catholic) beat out a hit to the middle infield. Senior Shelby Fulk (El Paso, Ill.-El Paso-Gridley) ripped a single to left center to advance Massaro to scoring position before hot-hitting sophomore Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington HS) roped a two-run double down the left field line to cross Massaro and Fulk at the plate. 

Senior Brittany Murphy (Canton, Ill.-Canton HS) led off the second inning with a line shot up the middle, followed by another single to the right side by senior Sam Berghoff (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney Young). Massaro reached on a fielder's choice while Murphy advanced to home on a throwing error. Fulk strung together a double to the left field fence to cross Berghoff while an inning ending double play on a hit by Earl scored Massaro to push the Titans to a 5-0 lead. 

IWU expanded its lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth with two outs. Freshman Nora Adams (Chesterfield, Mo.-Nerinx Halls HS) remained patient in the box to receive a free base just before sophomore Colleen Palczynski (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect HS) pounded a two-run bomb to left field. 
Sophomore Kaylee Bowers (Champaign, Ill.-Champaign Central HS) pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth with Berghoff in scoring position. She reached first on a throwing error and took the opportunity to advance to two, moving Berghoff home to give the Titans an 8-0 run-rule win. 

Game Two: No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan 20, Bethany Lutheran 3
In the circle, freshman Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont HS) turned in a pair of innings in her first career start, giving up two hits and striking out two Bethany Lutheran batters to earn the win. Another freshman Titan, Eden Bushnell (Peoria, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame HS), saw her first collegiate appearance on the mound striking out one and giving up no hits in 1.0 innings. Sophomore Madie Monk (Monteno, Ill.-Monteno HS) wrapped up the the last two innings, facing 10 batters, resulting in three fly outs and groundouts a piece. 

An early offensive attack put the Titans on the board in the first when Berghoff hit a leadoff single to the right side, followed by another single by Massaro to the edge of the green. A bases-clearing triple to right center by Earl propelled IWU to a 2-0 advantage. Pinch runner senior Sydney Alery (Stevens Point, Wis.-Pacelli Catholic HS) stole home on a first and third toss-up. Back-to-back-to-back doubles from Palczynski, junior Lexy Trammell (Peoria, Ill.-Limestone), and junior Hannah Heraty (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) combined for three RBI's edging the Titans to a 5-0 advantage. Two singles up the middle from Berghoff and Massaro added two more RBI's, one a piece from each of the seniors. 

The Titans loaded the bases in the top of two on a single by Murphy, Heraty and Massaro, with an additional sacrifice fly by Trammell and fielder's choice hit provided by Fulk, that extended to a 13-0 lead. 

Freshman Erica Barker (Linton, Ind.-Linton Stockton HS) executed a third inning leadoff double down the right field line in her first collegiate at bat. Barker scored on a two-run shot over center field by Palczysnki, her second of the day, to push a 15-0 lead. Murphy kept it going with a single to the right side, followed by a single by Berghoff to cross Murphy and Trammell. Massaro reached on a fielder's choice, advancing home on a double to left field by Fulk. Earl singled to move Fulk around the bases, sending her home for a 19-0 front heading into the fourth. 

Berghoff doubled to left field in the top of five and advanced to third on a single by Massaro. Fulk flew out to center field to give the Titans a 20-3 lead. 

The Titans scored 20 runs off 23 hits, marking their way into the record books. IWU's 23 hits is etched as tied for the most in a game, while 20 runs scored is tied for third in game history. The last time 23 hits was recorded in a game was during the 2005 campaign against Monmouth College.

The softball team gets right back to action tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11. IWU will take on  the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford at 9 a.m. MT and wrap up the Tucson Invitation against Baldwin Wallace University with 11 a.m. MT first pitch.